Into the Darkness
by The Dishonored Wolf
Summary: Humphrey is plagued by visions and nightmares that foretell a dark future for the wolves of Jasper Park. A terrible secret held in the heart of the Eastern territory may hold the key to the wolves' salvation or their doom, and Humphrey will risk everything to protect those he loves. Can Humphrey save the pack, or will they all fall into the darkness?
1. The Scorched Earth

_A lone grey wolf ran for his life. Fire spurted from the ground, debris and flame flying around him. He squinted his eyes and continued to run forward, gritting his fangs and lowering his head in cover. There were blackened, gnarled trees crumbling into ash in the remnants of the forest around him, burning branches reaching out to him like ghoulish claws, ready to grab him and tear him apart. The sky was dark, the pale moon glowing crimson._

_ All around him, animals ran frantically to escape the chaos, their fur pelts burning, and their eyes were filled with desperation. A tree landed in his path, sparks and charred bark flying every which way. He dug his paws into the hard earth, his guard hairs standing on end in terror. His eyes were wide and filled with fear, but he kept running. He tried to escape the forest._

_ Angular shapes flew overhead, roaring in anger as they did battle in the sky. Flaming bursts flew from them, some exploding into massive balls of flame and a hard, dark material. The large, lumbering forms of humans ran at each other, fire emerging from the long, deadly sticks that they carried, some hitting other humans, some hitting wolves and other animals. The forest and everything around the young grey was dying, the wolf running as fast as his legs would take him. _

_ His muscles burned like the raging inferno around him, his breath coming out in short, agonized gasps as the smoke inhalation poisoned his lungs. His eyes darted back and forth, up and down, trying to make sense of the chaos and find a way out of the forest. _

_ One of the large, angular things in the sky smashed into the ground in front of him, exploding and throwing metal and earth into the sky. Fire caught on the grey's pelt, causing him to yelp in fear. He tried to roll on the ground and rid himself of the burning, but the scorched earth only allowed more flames to leap onto him. His entire body was burning, the horrific pain stabbing at every fiber of his being as though being stung by a million hornets._

_ He screamed in pain and trampled through the burning forest, desperate to find a river. At long last, he found it, leaping into it. But the river held no salvation for the grey. The river was sickly, dark, polluted, and running black with gasoline and raw earth minerals. He felt his eyes burning as he clambered out of the river, coughing up the disgusting taste, only for the fire to leap inside his mouth and catch along the flammable materials that were inside of him. He was burning from the inside and out, and yet he would not die. He shrieked in agony, his howl coming out in the form of coughing flame. _

_ Yet, beyond the pain he could hear a sweet, beautiful voice of a young she-wolf. He shifted his burning gaze, desperate to find her voice. He saw her, the dark silhouette of the she-wolf standing amongst the fire and flame. Her eyes glowing a deadly red. He knew her, yet she seemed completely foreign in this quite demonic form. He painfully took a step towards her, reaching out to her, pleading for help and mercy._

_ He collapsed, dragging his fleshy, burning form along the ground. His fur and been completely incinerated, fire protruding from his bowels and his tendons, muscle tissue, and flesh burnt away. His blood tried to flow, yet it was burned and crusted along what was left of his mutilated body as he crawled towards her. She glared at him, a low growl emitting from within her throat. He looked up at her, once again pleading for mercy, wanting to die. She barred her fangs, her ears tilted back, her haunches tensing, guard hairs raised, claws unsheathed. Her eyes glowed with a hateful fury. That's when she released that horrible, blood-curdling scream._

_ "YOU MADE ME DIE!"_

Humphrey's eyes shot open and he bolted upright. He screamed, gasping for air. Unfortunately for him, he was previously sleeping on top of a rise, so when he stood up, he lost his footing and fell to the soft ground below. He landed with a thud, his back cracking in several places. He scrunched his face in pain, and then dragged himself to his paws.

He shook his head, breathing heavily. It was a horrible nightmare, one that he was not intent on repeating. In terror, he looked himself over, reassuring himself that he wasn't some horrible ghost of his former self. In his nightmare, he looked like a zombified monstrosity of a wolf. He looked the same as he should, his fur and body still intact.

He breathed a sigh of relief, and then looked back into his den to where his wife Kate slept peacefully. He was surprised that she hadn't heard him, but he was thankful that he hadn't disturbed his mate's rest. He stared longingly at her before walking away.

The night was still young, dawn many hours off. The other wolves of the New Pack were sleeping peacefully amongst themselves. Humphrey, however, was dealing with his own personal demons. He walked to the river and leapt in, cooling himself down. He walked back to the shore and shook himself dry. He sat on the shoreline, looking down at his reflection in the running water. A golden-furred she-wolf walked up next to him, her amber eyes glowing in the reflection of the river. He didn't look at her, his blue eyes simply admiring the reflection of the two.

She buried her nose in his flank affectionately, and then looked back at him. He turned to look at her as well. She was his beautiful mate, the golden furred, Alpha she-wolf, Kate. He gazed deeply into her eyes, lost in them as though lost in a dark cave without any exits. No matter; he didn't want any exits, simply to stay lost in those eyes for the rest of his life.

"Are you okay?" She asked. His eyes darted away for a moment in hesitation, then returned. He smiled at her.

"Of course," he replied. "Why do you ask?" She stared at him skeptically, knowing something was up.

"Humphrey," she said, dragging her tail underneath his chin. He smiled as she did this. "I know you better than this, my love. Come on, what happened back there?" He frowned, concerning her. The last time he'd frowned was when he though she was to be mated with Garth. She hung her head low, her ears drooping. "Is it me?"

"No!" Humphrey said instantly, leaping to his paws. He tilted his head, looking her in the eyes. She returned the gaze. "You're the most amazing she-wolf I know, you know I can't live without you, Kate! No, this isn't about you, love. Sorry, I'm just on edge. I had a bad dream, that's all." She sat down and cocked her head in confusion. Humphrey having bad dreams? The fun loving Omega she'd known all of her life having a bad dream? This wasn't normal!

"Do you want to talk about it?" She asked. He looked at her, seeing the willingness to help him in her eyes. That was one of the things he loved about his mate: she was so incredibly caring for him and others. Every day and night, he asked himself how he could have possibly managed to be lucky enough to actually become mates with her. He sighed and recounted his nightmare to her.

She sympathized for him, sad that he was plagued with this nightmare. She nuzzled him, burying her face in his neck fur. He returned the affectionate embrace of his mate, the two closing their eyes as they did so. He slightly parted his jaws and inhaled her sweet scent. She was his everything, his life, his passion, and everything he ever desired and required.

"It was just a bad dream," she whispered. He nodded and agreed with her, and then he allowed himself to be led back to their den. They curled up together, their heads nuzzled together. She licked his face and he returned the gesture. Kate fell asleep alongside her mate, but Humphrey could not sleep. The vision of blood and fire haunted his thoughts for the rest of the night. Those words that the she-wolf screamed at the end of his nightmare haunted him. He recognized the she-wolf and her voice, but couldn't quite make them out. They were muffled, demonic, haunted; luckily, they bore no indication that they were from Kate. He couldn't live with himself if anything happened to her. Yet those words echoed in his head like a horrible spirit plaguing him.

"YOU MADE ME DIE!"

**A/N: Well, guys, this is my first A&O FanFic! What do you think of it so far? I just came from a different profile where I wrote Call of Duty FanFics and decided to give this a shot. Later on this story may become Rated M, but for now, I'll keep it at T and notify you when I change it to M. Hope you guys liked this and I'll be really thankful to get a review on what you all think of this so far! Stay awesome!**

**-The Dishonored Wolf**


	2. The Dark Wolf

"Uh, Humphrey?" Kate questioned nervously. "Are you sure about this?" The two were at the top of a particularly large hill, even larger than the mountain where the wolves howled each midnight. They had difficulties finding a good piece of open bark to use, so they ended up working together to tear off the bark of a large tree to use as a log sled.

After what felt like hours when in truth only forty minutes had transpired, they reached the hill's peak, viewing the breath-taking landscape ahead of them. The rolling hills, jagged mountains, flowing streams, shimmering lakes, and endless expanses of forest and grassland stretched out before the two wolves. The midafternoon sun cast a brilliant golden hue across Jasper Park, illuminating everything above and below. Humphrey noted that its effects on Kate's tawny fur were especially dazzling, forcing him to keep himself from drooling over the sight of his mate. Of course, this didn't mean she didn't notice, flicking her tail at him in a teasing manner.

For a few moments, the two sat side by side, their fur touching and tails intertwined, enjoying the other's company. Finally, Humphrey broke the silence between them and got down to what they had come up on that hill for in the first place. He politely allowed Kate to sit in the mid-front area of the sled while he sat behind. At first, it looked like such an outstanding idea to sled down one of the largest hills in the New Pack territory. That is, until they found out what looking _down_ the hill was like.

The hill itself was a staggering near eighty degree drop for several hundred meters. The rest of the ride to the bottom of the hill was around a fifty or sixty degree incline as the terrain varied. Obstacles like trees and rocks were plentiful, but drop offs and a particularly deep and unnerving gorge resided on a side of the hill, meaning that the ride down would be just as dangerous as taking on a caribou herd.

Humphrey's eyes were wide, but unlike Kate's, they were ecstatic and near-psychotic. He was always one of the most daring Omegas in the New Pack, but this was-in Kate's eyes-completely illogical in insane. The consequences of what could happen if there was even the slightest error in their ride could end in tragedy. Humphrey wasn't exactly taking into account the possibility of Eve discovering their ride today, and Kate was fully aware that if the hill didn't kill them, Eve's insatiable wrath indefinitely would.

"Of course I am, Kate!" Humphrey replied cheerfully. "Come on, this will be fun!"

"That's assuming that we'll live to figure that out," Kate pointed. Humphrey rolled his eyes and stared her down.

"Well, it looks like I got a lot of work to do," he said with a grin. "You need to have some fun once in a while!"

"I don't know, Humphrey," Kate said, surveying the landscape ahead of them. "We could get hurt doing this…" She looked back at Humphrey, and then inched away, completely taken aback. He was doing it. Again. Ever since they had become mates, Humphrey had learned ways to get Kate to cooperate, and one of them was to put his acting talents to the ultimate test: he would hunch over, his face pointed to the ground, and then stare at her with large-and to Kate's distress-incredibly adorable eyes that only a young pup would have. Only a young pup, or Humphrey, that is. What he quickly discovered was that Kate found it irresistible to look at him and not want to have fun with him. Kate began to smile, and then realized it was working and shook her head.

"No, absolutely not!" She stammered, planting her paw down. She looked down on Humphrey with all of the authority that she could muster. "I won't let either of us put our lives at risk!"

Realizing that he had to change tactics, he pressed his belly to the log sled and inched forward, continuing to stare at her with those large eyes. He allowed a pitiful whimper to escape from him, which made it all the more difficult for Kate to say no. Still, she held her ground and backed away from him. That's when it hit her: he was _trying_ to back her up. Her ears pressed tightly against her skull and her tail tucked between her legs as she whirled around to see the log sled tilting down the hill.

She turned to Humphrey and saw him, sitting up, grinning from ear to ear. Her eyes squinted into slits and she let out an annoyed growl.

"Why, you-" she began.

"HOLD ON!" Humphrey cut in. She backed into him and held on for dear life as the log sled crashed to the ground off of the low rise and quickly slid downhill. They gained speed, making their maneuvers in the log sled jerky and rushed. Kate screamed the whole way down whereas Humphrey cheered in dumb joy.

The wind pressed against their faces, their fur flying back. Kate was in a state of absolute terror, each time it looked as though they would begin to crash, Humphrey would narrowly dodge the obstruction in their path. Kate's tongue flapped out of her mouth, and despite her attempts to keep it inside, it would not stay. Humphrey, however, enjoyed the feeling and leaned the left, smiling and allowing the wind to catch his tongue. He howled in joy as their log sled went over a natural jump.

They hit the ground but continued to go downward. Then, Kate saw the one thing she feared the most out of the log sledding trip: the gorge. If they didn't bail out, it would swallow them in its rocky darkness forever. Humphrey, however, had other ideas. He turned to angle their sled over a boulder jutting out just over the gorge. Kate screamed louder, slamming her eyes shut, not able to bear watching what would inevitably happen to them.

Humphrey's angling was precise and true, the log sled flying up and over the gorge and into the sky. Kate pried her eyes open and looked around in wonder and curiosity, trying to figure out if they had died or not. Then, they continued to drop. Kate held on to the sides, he claws digging into the deep bark as they plummeted to the ground. Their trajectory and velocity, however, sent the log sled gliding down towards the lake, and the next thing they knew, the two were submerged in water.

Kate opened her eyes again, looking around the watery lake-scape, and then felt something tap her. She looked around to see Humphrey pointing to the surface with his tail, and she realized that they had to surface. The two swam upward and broke through the lake, coughing up silt and water before swimming to the shoreline. They waded through the shallow water to the bank, stopping on the grass to shake the water from their fur pelts. Kate's, however, immediately puffed out like a young pup's fur pelt when she did so.

Humphrey noticed Kate's puffy fur and his face contorted as he began to laugh hysterically. She was confused at first, and then she looked at herself and saw exactly why he was laughing at her. She turned her amber eyes to glare at him.

"Love the new look, Kate!" He burst, his laughing uncontrollable. She growled and pushed him back into the lake. He yelped and crashed into the water as she groomed her fur. He sat up coughing and sputtering. He shook himself dry and walked back to his now-groomed-and-still-not-too-happy mate.

"Now did you learn your lesson?" Kate asked in an amused tone of voice. He was about to give a witty reply when he decided that he'd rather not go for a third swim.

"Yeah, yeah I think I have," he chuckled. "Wasn't that fun?" She glared at him haughtily, trying to make the impression that she despised the log sledding ride. Humphrey's ears and tail drooped in disappointment, thinking that she was angry with him. Then she smiled and nuzzled him.

"Okay," she admitted. "I guess I did have fun, but I don't think I'll be going on that hill any time soon." With renewed happiness, he perked up and the two headed back to the other side of the hill towards the pack clearing. They walked, sharing stories of events earlier that day. They joked around, made idle jokes about a few other wolves in the pack, and ended the evening with a friendly race.

They were closing in the bridge gapping the small trench to the territories when Humphrey got a mischievous look on his face. He dove in front of Kate, tripping her. Kate, however, was expecting that maneuver and fastened her teeth on his scruff, pulling him down with her. The two tumbled forward before finally coming to a stop, Kate lying on her back and Humphrey standing above her. The two noticed the awkward position they were in and were, for a moment, at a loss as to how to continue.

Then, Humphrey smiled and leaned in towards his mate, rubbing his nose against hers. She smiled and returned rub. She nuzzled him, and then flipped him onto his back in a surprise roll. He looked up at her in shock. She looked down at him with a smile.

"Remember, I'm the Alpha here," she teased. He laughed as she let him up. Then, something caught Humphrey's eye that stole his attention from his mate. The stars were shining brightly overhead, and the moon had begun to rise over the mountaintops in the distance just beyond Jasper. He looked at all of them and then back at Kate with a romantic smile.

"So, Kate…" he began. She shook her head in disappointment, knowing her shift in Alpha duties was coming up. If she didn't make it back, then there would trouble.

"I'm sorry, Humphrey," she replied, walking across the fallen tree bridge. "But I can't, I have work to do." Humphrey questioned her about it.

"Oh, yeah? Like what?" He inquired, following her.

"Well," she said. "I have to help hunt for dinner, renew the scent borders, training the pups-"

"_BORING_!" Humphrey interjected, leaping ahead of her and blocking the way. "You really just need some fun!" He leaned in closer to her, tilting his head to the side and giving her his near-irresistible smile. She rolled her eyes and padded past him, leaving him alone on the bridge. He watched her leave, and then realized the one thing he knew that no matter what he did, she would never be able to resist.

He planted his paws firmly on the tree, arched his back, and then threw his head back to howl. Just as he knew it would, she stopped. Her guard hairs stood vertically, her tail tucked lightly between her legs, her ears pressed to the sides of her head. She turned to look at him, smiling. The stars shown brilliantly on her eyes, distracting Humphrey for a moment. He began to do elaborate tricks while howling, staring her down as he did so.

She turned fully around to listen to his voice, taking tentative steps forward. He knew she was trying to resist, but he also knew that no matter what, she couldn't. He could see her begin to howl with him, but Humphrey screwed up in the middle of his howl. He began to slip off of the bridge and town into the small trench.

"Humphrey-" Kate warned. But it was too late. Humphrey fell down, hitting several stumps and rocks on the way down. Kate rushed to the cliff and looked down worriedly. "Humphrey?!" She called down.

"I'm okay!" He called back. "I, uh…I, well…" She looked down at her mate in amusement. He began to pick himself back up from his fall. Luckily for him, the trench was neither deep nor precarious, the fall merely leaving a few minor bruises that would fade in a day or so.

"Well," she commented, beginning to leave. "That was fun."

"Yeah!" He called back, climbing up the side. "I-I meant to do that!"

She laughed and ran off into the forest. She knew he could get himself back out perfectly fine. He could, there was no doubt of it, but it still disappointed him that Kate's duties as an Alpha wolf kept her from spending more time with him. Had Lily been birthed first, Kate would have been an Omega and Lily the Alpha. It would have worked perfectly, too; after all, Lily and Garth were together now and Kate and Humphrey were as well. Yet fate's paw had them placed in the ranks that they were.

He trekked through the familiar forest and back home. His belly growled at him, snapping his mind back to the realization that he hadn't eaten save for at breakfast hours earlier. He walked a bit faster, his desire to eat outweighing any exhaustion or fatigue that he felt after the long day he spent with Kate.

Suddenly, he saw something move in the shadows of the forest. He stopped and looked around, waiting, watching. Nothing came out, so he decided it must have been the breeze stirring the leaves and playing tricks on his mind. _Interesting_, he thought. _There's no wind out tonight_. That's when he saw the shadowy figure again, darting from tree to tree. He began to wonder what it was, and then realized why Kate may have run off so soon.

"Alright, Kate," he called with a smile. "You can come out now! Come on, I know you're there!" The next thing he knew, something heavy slammed him to the ground, a low growl in his ear. He turned over to see a dark wolf standing over him.

"I am not your mate," he breathed. His breath was rancid and smelled of rot and decay. His voice sounded like he was choking on sharp rocks and wood chips, giving it a horrific tone. "You will not live, Omega." Humphrey looked up at the wolf in terror, unable to talk or move. The bone chilling fear rendered him immobile and mute. He could hardly breathe. Then, quickly as the wolf had appeared, he dashed into the night.

Humphrey lied on his back in shock for a while, shaking to his core. Then, he worked up the courage and sprinted back out of the forest as fast as his legs could take him. His eyes flashed back into the forest, shapes moving all around him as though more dark wolves were chasing him. He quickened his pace, his tail tucked tightly in fear.

Everything began to glow a deep orange hue as he fled, and he saw the images of other animals fleeing the forest, their pelts caught in flame. Ash fluttered in the air, the trees caved in upon themselves and became haunted shells of what they formerly were. His nightmare was coming back vividly; he had forgotten about it up until now, and it all began to come back to him. Suddenly, a shape fell upside down from a tree: it was Garth, hanging dead, his corpse mutilated and his tail nailed to the branch. Humphrey screamed in fear.

Garth's jade eyes shot open and saw Humphrey. Garth screamed at him as well. For a few moments, the two just screamed at each other, Humphrey in fear, Garth in amusement. Humphrey looked up at Garth. He was in perfect health, but he was upside down. He looked up in confusion and saw vines wrapped around his paws and tail, securing him to the branch. Humphrey looked up and down in confusion, Garth staring at him, a wry smile on his face.

"Are you sizing me up or what?" Garth questioned.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING THERE!?" Humphrey exclaimed. Garth recoiled, pressing his paws to his ears.

"Why are you yelling?" He demanded. He looked at Humphrey, noticing his terrified, shaking form. He smiled. "Wow, did I really scare you that bad?"

"Y-you…you…" He trailed off and Garth put his curled paw in the air-well, technically towards the ground-in victory.

"YES!" He exclaimed. "I knew I could do it! Wow, Humphrey; you look like you've seen a ghost!" Humphrey looked back into the forest, the shadowy wolf no longer there.

"Y-yeah," he replied. "A ghost." Garth tilted his head in confusion.

"Something on your mind?" He asked. He was genuine about it, not asking in his usual mocking manner towards Humphrey.

"No, I think I'm just seeing things. I-" he hesitated before telling Garth about what he saw, and then decided to change the subject. "I-I…what are you doing up there?" Garth returned his attention to his makeshift hanging device and looked back at Humphrey.

"Well, since Lily likes to make turtle impressions I decided it might be fun to do the same, so now I'm Garth, the really big possum!" This made Humphrey forget everything that had transpired and roll on the ground laughing. Garth gave him a questioning stare.

"What's so funny?"

"You've got to be kidding!" Humphrey gasped. "A possum? Really?"

"What's wrong with it?" Garth asked defensively.

"Come on, you're huge! You could have at least made a bear or moose impression, but you chose a possum!"

"Lily could have made an impression of a fox or a mountain lion, but she chose a turtle," Garth pointed out. "And you're obviously making the impression of a coyote every moment of your life." Garth did have a point about impression choices, though Humphrey wasn't too amused by the coyote reference again. "Hey, Humphrey, can I ask you a favor?"

"If it includes making a possum or coyote impression, you can count me out!" Humphrey replied.

"No, no, it's nothing like that," Garth said in a serious tone. "Look, Lily's birthday is coming in a few days and I have no idea what to do for her! I know it may sound dumb, but…can you help me out, here?"

"Well, I guess just do what you think would be best," he suggested. Lily's birthday coming up also meant Humphrey's was just a few days afterward, which got him thinking about what Kate would do for him. He didn't really want anything in particular except to spend the day with her and his best friends, Salty, Shakey, and Mooch. "Do what you think would be a good idea to do for her, something that she'd like and remember for a long time, I guess. I'm not really sure; to be quite honest, I don't even know what I'll do for Kate's birthday when that time comes around. I missed her first two so…"

"I understand," Garth said. "Thanks Humphrey, I'll try my best!"

"No problem, Barf," Humphrey said, winking. "Just try to get yourself down so you can actually do something for her." With that, Humphrey walked away. When he was alone again, he could hear a soft growl coming from the darkness of the forest. He whirled around to see two crimson eyes glaring at him from the brush.

"Don't walk the path alone," he growled. Humphrey backed away until the eyes disappeared from sight. With that, turned and ran.

**Well guys, there's Chapter 2! I'm really surprised that I got 3 reviews already, that's really cool! Thanks for the support thus far! I really like to see people reviewing my stories, and on my last account, I didn't get a whole lot of reviews on my stories, so it's really reassuring to see these reviews already! Also, I'd like to make a shout out to FunLovingKate who got the reference from Dead Space 2! **

**I recently bought the game, having never played Dead Space before (and now I realize it's probably one of the best video games I've ever played!) and got my inspiration from the part of Humphrey's nightmare where the demonic she-wolf screamed "YOU MADE ME DIE!" from the campaign of Dead Space 2! The difference, however, is that this isn't much of a horror story. However, I commend you for getting that reference! Until next time!**

**-The Dishonored Wolf**


	3. The Law of the Ancient Packs

_Humphrey ran for his life. The forest fire chased him as he fled to the valley. Everything around him caught fire; trees, shrubbery, animals, the ground, even stone and water. He darted through the trees, the fire quickly gaining on him. He could feel its intense heat on his rear as he sprinted. The tips of his fur began to catch fire, his grey pelt turning a charcoal black._

_ He panicked, fearing a similar outcome of his last nightmare. When he finally made it to the bottom of the valley, he could see the bloody corpses of thousands of caribou, the scent of rot and decay stinging his nostrils. Bloody puncture wounds dotted the caribou, bits of flesh and bone torn from whatever made them. Strange objects lay scattered around the valley floor, things he'd never seen before. _

_ The objects were, however, the last of his worries. If he didn't escape the fire, it would engulf him in its searing tendrils. The ground split and fractured, caving in on itself until there were only large columns left for him to leap upon to the other end of the valley, a deep maw opening up beneath him. At its pit, lava glowed. Humphrey landed upon the next column, staring down into the lava. He'd never seen it before, but he supposed it was no different than the fire that was relentlessly chasing him._

_ He continued to run, jumping from each new, precarious column. Pieces of rock and stone fell from the tops, some columns collapsing as he leapt upon them. He reached one, and it began to totter forward. He saw the next column as his tipped downward. He timed it right, leaping from the column to the next. He sank his claws into the top of the column, frantically climbing on top. _

_ Suddenly, he noticed the fire approach him. He tensed his muscles, closing his eyes. The fire engulfed him and everything around him. However, it did nothing to affect him. He opened his eyes, seeing a large, black bridge linking his column and another, larger one together. All he could see around him was an endless expanse of lava; it was as though he was amidst an ocean of fire. He took a deep breath, but he was only met with the hot, dense air. He shook his head and began to cautiously cross the bridge to the other column._

_ Another wolf stood upon the other column; its crimson eyes glared down on him. Humphrey halted, his legs refusing to respond. He stared at the wolf in fear as it leaped from its perch down to the bridge below. It walked up to him. The wolf was massive, its black fur matted and unkempt. Long, curved claws protruded from its paws, the tips clicking on the stone. Its tail tip moved ever so slightly, a deep, foreboding growl emitting from deep within its throat._

_ Its ears lowered and it pulled back its lips to expose long, yellowing fangs. Humphrey was shaking uncontrollably, his body half lowered to the stone bridge. The wolf looked down at Humphrey. It smirked at him before whirling around and walking back to the other column. It stopped halfway and looked back at Humphrey. It wanted him to follow. He took a shaky breath, stole himself for a moment, and forced himself to walk forward._

_ The wolf led him around a large stone walkway spiraling around the column until they reached its jagged peak. Humphrey looked around, but all he could see was the lava ocean. Dark clouds rained ash from the sky, red lightning flashing periodically. Humphrey was about to ask what they were doing up there when, as if in response, columns rose from the lava, leading the way across the ocean. Lava fell from the columns, but the molten material still stayed on the tops. The wolf leaped from their large column to the next, the lava disappearing. It looked back at him expectantly._

_ Humphrey jumped after him, the two repeating this process for many more columns. Slowly, the landscape changed, the earth rising from the molten ocean and reforming into the river that used to mark the Eastern and Western territories. The sky was a dark red, the trees of the Eastern pack's former territory silhouetted against the fog within their territory. Humphrey walked to the riverbank, then back at the large wolf._

_ He was gone. Humphrey looked back across to the river, and then leaped back as he saw the wolf staring at him from the other side. Nothing was making sense to him. The wolf was leading him, no doubt, but why here? What could they do here? There wasn't anything living in the East anymore; they nearly fought a war just because of that fact! _

_ "You must learn the truth," it growled. Humphrey knew that voice, but he couldn't place where he'd heard it. It snarled and leaped at him, claws unsheathed and fangs wide. The last thing Humphrey saw were the fangs closing in around him. He felt intense pain as its claws sank into his shoulder and his world went back._

Humphrey's eyes shot open and he looked around him. He was back in his den; Kate was nestled beside him, sound asleep. He turned to look at her, watching the steady rise and fall of her flank. He breathed a sigh of relief, resting his head on his paws. He stared out of the mouth of the small cave at the slowly waning moon. He was always disappointed to see the moon waning; he loved full moons, though he couldn't place his claw on just why he did so much.

He nuzzled Kate and then lied back next to her.

Kate was out patrolling the borders, so Humphrey used his downtime-which was all the time-to explore. Of course, being the adventurous wolf that he was, he'd seen most of the territory already, but he always liked to walk around and enjoy the world around him. He padded through the forest, the serenity clearing his already muddled conscience.

Birds flew from branch to branch, some to their nests to attend to their young. Young creatures that were born from the previous spring were scurrying about under the watchful eyes of their parents. Humphrey smiled at the sight; briefly wondering what if would be like to be a father. He and Kate would eventually-given that Eve never found out-mate and become parents, though he never truly put much thought into it.

Although he was all for the idea when learning of their purpose in Sawtooth, he was, in truth, incredibly respectful of his mate and females in general. He didn't think of Kate as an object, but as his mate, best friend, and equal. Of course, they weren't completely equal; as an Omega of the Western Pack, Humphrey was never taught the crucial survival skills that the Alphas were taught from a young age. It didn't, however, stop him from wondering what their pups would be like. He knew Kate would be an amazing, caring, loving mother. The thought brought a smile to his face, and he continued walking forward through the trees.

As he walked, he could hear voices through the trees. He knew that he shouldn't be spying on others, but his curiosity got the better of him and he stealthily crept through the underbrush towards the source of the noise. As he neared he could hear their voices get louder. They were in some sort of argument, and Humphrey was keen on figuring out why they were arguing.

"-is simply not needed!" One of them argued. Humphrey made out the voice to be Winston's.

"I know it's not your exact customs," replied another. This was Tony. "But every wolf must play his or her part. You are the only known wolves to keep your Omegas from performing their duties and don't want my wolves becoming soft like yours!"

"Need I remind you, Tony," a female growled. Eve. "That your son is the mate of one of our 'soft' Omegas." Humphrey could finally see them; Winston, Eve, Tony, Hutch, Garth, and Lily sat in a small clearing. Tony guiltily turned his gaze to Lily.

"My apologies, young'un," he said. "I-"

"It's alright, Tony," Lily replied. She smiled, seemingly unfazed by the indirect insult to her. Garth glared at his father, then returned his attention to the group.

"Who says that we must halt any customs?" Hutch questioned. "You can keep yours and we can keep ours."

"I think what he means," Lily spoke up. "Is that we're all one pack and should agree on the same customs and traditions."

"She's right," Garth agreed. "If there's a large division between the wolves of the New Pack, then that could lead to hostilities from within. The last thing we need right now is to start any more fighting." Tony nodded in gruff agreement, even Hutch seeing the sense in the matter-whatever it was.

"I'm not so sure about this," Winston said, looking down at the ground. "Some of our Omegas aren't fit for such a drastic change. They've never had the experience that your Omegas have."

"Exactly why our Alphas can help them in this matter," Tony pointed out. "We never put our Omegas through any kind of Alpha Schooling, but we did have them taught the skills that Omegas truly need!"

Humphrey tried to make sense of the matter, not fully understanding what they were talking about. All he had gathered from their conversation was that they were talking about the Omegas. Something about them not being 'fit' for change, and that they were 'soft.' _At least Garth didn't make any coyote jokes,_ Humphrey thought. He listened for a while more before crawling back.

They didn't seem to have come to any conclusion as to what they were talking about, nor how to proceed with it. As long as it was still under debate, however, it seemed that life would remain the same as it always had. He walked back to the cliffs where he could overlook the valley. He lay down, watching the moving shapes of wolves and caribou below.

Humphrey spotted the slender, tawny form of Kate moving amongst three brown-furred wolves. His ears perked up and his tail began to wag slightly. He smiled as he watched his mate carefully as she casually walked along the outskirts of the caribou herd. The large, lumbering beasts watched her warily for a while until they figured she wasn't a threat. He'd seen her use this tactic many times in the past; the caribou were dumb creatures, easily tricked. Kate made herself seem as though she was just passing through, when in truth, she was patrolling the border of the herd, scenting out the caribou that she would take down.

Selection of prey was crucial in moments like this; Pack Law forbade wolves from taking out any healthy caribou save for in times of extreme desperation. The old, sick, injured, and weak caribou were the targets that the wolves sought; if they picked out the healthy caribou then the rest of the herd would become sick and die out from the inside out. Humphrey began to suspect that was the reason that the caribou had disappeared from the East.

She trotted around, her tongue lolling out, her tail swishing back and forth. The caribou may have not seen her as much of a threat after she did this for a prolonged period, but they were always wary of any predatory animals near their herd. He saw jaws slightly close, barely parted. She lifted her head upward, scenting for her intended prey.

There it was; an old female with a limp. It resided in the outer left of the herd, grazing alone. Her eyes narrowed as she stalked the creature. The other wolves in her party closed in from the other side. She pressed her belly to the ground, hiding in the tall grass. The rest of the herd did not seem fazed by her sudden disappearance, but the old female was becoming nervous. Humphrey could tell in the way she moved, her head turning so her eyes could scan the grass cautiously. The wolves stopped moving, flattening themselves completely.

Luckily, Kate was upwind of the caribou, her scent carried off from the valley. The other wolves' scents were carried away as they were not close enough to the caribou to scent them. After a many heartbeats, the caribou returned to its grazing. Kate slunk forward, keeping her body close to the ground. Two of the wolves split up and the four formed a triangle around the caribou. Their eyes met; a silent signal passing between them. This was the part that Humphrey found the most thrilling: the hunt had begun.

The lone brown wolf sprang into action, racing for the caribou. It turned to meet him, causing him to slightly divert his course and slow to a trot as though he had never intended to attack the caribou at all. As he did this the other two leaped. The caribou whirled around, its nostrils flaring, its eyes glaring at them in warning. Despite the wolves' strength in numbers, the caribou could easily gut them with its deadly antlers.

The three surrounded the caribou, but it held its ground. The hunt wasn't going according to plan; an animal that stood its ground increased its chances for survival, but an animal that tried to escape drastically decreased those chances. Kate continued stay in hiding as the other three took care of the caribou. They began to run around it, barking and growling at it. It confused the caribou and it turned around at random, unable to figure out where to look first. Finally, it made the ultimatum and began to run.

Success! The wolves ran it away from the herd, its limp slowing it down a bit. Kate crouched, slowly trotting along the edge of the valley as the caribou ran. The other wolves began to fall behind, as the caribou picked up speed, though they still pursued it. Kate quickened her pace to match that of the caribou, staying in the tall grass to hide herself. The caribou was no longer relying on its sense of smell and hearing, but rather its sense of sight. This was a critical error in its judgment, one that would quickly seal the caribou's fate.

It continued to run, oblivious that Kate was running alongside it. When the moment was right, she sprang, sinking her claws into its haunches and biting down on its injured hind leg. The caribou bucked and kicked in a vain attempt to shake her off, but Kate held tightly. She began to bit and tear into its soft flank, drawing blood until its tan hide began to turn dark. The caribou panicked and tried run off, but its hoof tripped on a small outcropping, sending it sprawling. Kate leapt off to avoid being crushed underneath the massive creature.

She immediately sprang into action, leaping for its neck. She bit down on its throat, tearing the Life Blood from it. Vessels and veins burst as her deadly fangs tore through its throat, blood pouring into the ground. Crimson flecked her muzzle, her tongue swiftly cleaning off what she could. She placed a paw on its flank and watched as its breath ceased to come. The other three wolves came and began to tear into its belly, ripping off meat and limbs to carry with them to the rest of the pack.

Humphrey stood and howled his congratulations to Kate. Her ears pricked and she looked at the cliff to see him. She grinned and returned the howl. Humphrey loved the sound of her voice; they weren't singing as much as they were simply communicating right now, but he found her howl just as mesmerizing as ever.

He smiled and watched her tear off a bloody chunk of the caribou's rib cage, the meat still attached to it. Parts of the succulent intestines caught on the ribs and trailed with her. She ran up the grass trail to meet him. She stopped halfway up and howled to her companions, ordering them to take the kill back to the New Pack Den. They howled their compliments and obeyed.

Humphrey ran up to meet her, happy to see his mate. He assumed that he would help her carry the large piece of caribou back to the den. His mouth watered from the scent of the creature, though he knew that the Alphas-out of respect for the kill-were always the first to take their share of food.

"Hey, Kate!" Humphrey greeted. She placed them on the ground and smiled.

"Hi, Humphrey," she replied happily. She nuzzled him and he returned. "So, what did you think?"

"That was amazing!" He exclaimed. "The way you took down that caribou-I mean…just…well, I mean…wow!" She giggled at his statement and pushed the kill between the two.

"We don't get to eat often enough together," she explained. "Come on, let's dig in!" She definitely did not need to tell him twice. He thanked her and they began to tear into the meat. They shared the intestines and dug into the sweet-tasting meat. When they finished eating the kill, the two began to wash themselves, cleaning the blood from their fur. Kate noticed blood on Humphrey's ear and licked it for him. His ears flattened and his paws shuffled in embarrassment, eliciting a laugh at Humphrey's reaction.

The two buried the remains and walked back to the Pack Den. They shared no words on their journey back, simply relishing in the company of each other. Their tails met at one point and they stopped to look. They smiled at each other and wrapped their tails around each other, intertwining them.

When the silence became too much for either of them to handle, they began to play games out in the forest. Had circumstances been different, the sight of an Alpha playing Tag, Race, Hunter and Hunted, and Hide and Seek would have been an odd sight for any sane wolf to see. The two laughed and played together from noon to sunset when they heard Winston's gathering howl. The two looked at each other, confused expressions on their face. Winston rarely called for a Pack Meeting save for when great problems had occurred.

The two raced back to the Pack Den to see the other wolves of the New Pack gathering in the main clearing. From their chatter and facial expressions, Kate and Humphrey could tell that clearly no one really knew what was going on. Winston, Eve, Hutch, Tony, Garth, and Lily sat on top of the Leader Rock, the overhang above the Pack Leader Den. Winston once again howled to silence conversation and all of the wolves looked up to watch him. He took a nervous breath, looking back at his companions as though to ask if he should continue. Eve nodded and he looked back to address the crowd of wolves.

"For over a moon now," he began. "We have been discussing ways to seal the rift between the former Western and Eastern Packs by combining traditions and customs and dropping others. We are still working on the full details of everything that is to be, but we have come to two similar agreements. From this moment on, Tony, Eve and I will be resigning and passing the claw to Garth and Lily. I expect that you will all treat them with the respect that you have treated us these past years and accept them as your new, formal leaders."

All of the wolves began to howl and cheer for their new leaders, Garth and Lily looking slightly flushed and embarrassed by the whole ordeal and transition to the role of Leader Wolves. When the crowd had settled down, Winston continued.

"We have also come to another, more difficult agreement. In terms of traditional pack law, Alpha and Omegas are to supplement each other in all aspects," he proclaimed. "This includes hunting, fighting, and following Pack Laws that wolves of the Western Pack have not followed closely. These ancient codes were set in place and will now be strictly enforced.

"All Omega wolves are to receive personal training from and Alpha every day for the next moon to learn the skills of survival, hunting, fighting, and traditional punishment of the Ancient Packs. These Laws will be strictly enforced and Alphas will monitor everyone's actions. This will be a very difficult transition, but our pack will turn out for the better due to these transitions."

There were many howls and snarls of protest from the crowd when he finished. Even the Alphas were shocked by the choice. Both packs had settled into the customs of the Western wolves over the past three moons, and to have to make this change was ridiculous!

"We can't train Omegas!" One yelled.

"Why do we need to know how to fight?" Another called.

"We're not fit for Alpha School!" Screamed another.

"SILENCE!" Tony snarled.

"Look!" Garth said, stepping forward. "It was a difficult decision for us to make, but we are going to be a better pack for it; we will be stronger, more fit, and have far better chances of survival than we would in other situations! We won't send any Omegas to Alpha School; we'll simply be doing light training for a moon and that will be it!"

"What about the punishment system you were talking about?" A young wolf called.

"That will be explained in due time," Lily explained. "For now, everyone can just enjoy the rest of their evening and everything will be further explained in the morning!" With that, the meeting was over. Humphrey finally understood the conversation he'd heard earlier, though he wasn't particularly happy with the whole ordeal. He had to agree with the points that other wolves made; he wasn't in the physical condition to do the things that Alphas could. He was, of course, fit, but there was no way he would be able to pull off the elaborate tricks that Kate did on a daily basis. And how would wolves like Salty, Shakey, Mooch, Reeba, Janice, and other Omegas cope with the changes?

"Well," Kate commented as they padded back to their den. "That's quite a way to assert their position on the first day."

"Yeah," Humphrey replied glumly. "No kidding." Kate smiled and nudged him on the shoulder.

"Well, I hope you don't mind me being your trainer," she said. "This will also give us an excuse to spend more time with each other." He smiled; he hadn't thought of it that way, but now that there was way for them to spend time with each other, the Omega training seemed like a perfect idea. For a moment, Humphrey's thoughts were drawn back to what the dark wolf said in his dream.

"You must discover the truth." Was this the truth that he had to figure out? It would definitely make sense; he was taken to the border of the Eastern territory, and unlike the West, the East had used the ancient customs that they were now applying to the New Pack. It must be the truth that the wolf was talking about. After all, he didn't want to think of what would happen if he was wrong.

**A/N: There's Chapter 3, guys! I hope you enjoyed it, I put a lot of time and thought into the hunting segment and as to make it a large part of the chapter and to describe how real wolves hunt. I'd also like to formally thank Alexander, (Anonymous), FunLovingKate, and imjustlikehumphrey for leaving reviews on this story this far! Thanks for that! This is actually really fun to write this story; it gives me a chance to be more creative than the war stories I developed in the Call of Duty Fan Fiction section of the site. Until next time!**

**-The Dishonored Wolf**


	4. Dark Insanity

_He'd been in this nightmare already. He knew it. Humphrey didn't even seem to be in control of his actions anymore. Every last individual movement he made the last time he was here, he was making again. The fire continued to pursue him, the ground caved in on itself; the forest turned into an ocean of fire, the columns rose and fall. He regained control of his limbs when the bridge reformed. The dark bridge formed, the black wolf walking towards him. _

_ Humphrey was still incredibly intimidated by the sight of the dark wolf. He couldn't keep himself from trembling. The dark wolf stopped in front of him. It made no expressions, no communicative body movements. He examined Humphrey, his red eyes completely motionless. It walked around Humphrey scenting him. Humphrey tried to keep a steady posture, attempting to keep his inhaling and exhaling normal._

_ He swore his heart skipped several beats; time slowed, the process seeming to last an eternity. The dark wolf walked past him. Humphrey stood there, shaking, waiting for something to happen. The wolf stopped and stared at him. Once again, Humphrey followed. The dark wolf led him up the same path, the world once again reforming into the border of the West and East. The dark wolf swam across the molten river to the shoreline of the Eastern territory. _

_ It stared expectantly at him, but Humphrey refused to follow. Leaping into a river of lava? Humphrey didn't know what kind wolf this was, but Humphrey certainly wasn't it. The wolf stared at him impatiently, pacing alongside the shoreline of the river. It growled at him, clearly angry that Humphrey would not follow._

_ "You delay the truth," it growled. "You must discover the truth, or you will die." It leaped at him, tearing into him again. _

"Humphrey!" Kate yelled frantically. Humphrey's eyes shot open and he bolted upright, hitting his head on a rock overhead. He groaned in pain and rubbed his head. Kate rushed to his side.

"Humphrey, are you alright?" She asked worriedly.

"What happened?" He asked.

"You blacked out again," she replied.

He recalled vividly the intense training session. For three days they had been training, and for three days, Humphrey has had the exact same nightmare repeating over and over again. He was losing sleep, exhaustion and fatigue eliciting a painful response from Humphrey. He wasn't able to keep up his training with Kate at his best efficiency. He had blacked out twice in the past two days, Kate being scared sick.

Eve was able to revive him the first time, ordering him to halt his training for the rest of the day. Kate was constantly keeping watch over him despite his telling her that she was overreacting. It was the first time he'd ever truly done any work in his life. He didn't want to tell her for fear of accidentally hurting her feelings, but he felt that her training was far too difficult for any other wolf to do. Some of the elaborate tricks that she could do he was almost certain could not be physically recreated by males.

She sympathized for him, nuzzling him. They walked to the river, Kate supporting him the way there. They rested beside the water after getting a drink. Humphrey passed out, Kate being forced to wake him again. He looked back at her, his eyes heavy. She looked at him in concern.

"Humphrey, are you okay?" She asked.

"Yeah," he said tiredly. "Yeah, yeah I'm fine." She tilted her head, giving him a disbelieving look.

"Come one, Humph," she said. "Can't you trust me?"

"Of course I can," he reassured. "It's just this whole training thing, trying to remember the new discipline system…" She nodded in understanding.

"I wish you didn't have to do this," she said. "I hate seeing you like this. Good thing it's only a month, right?" He agreed, flashing a smile. She smiled and rested her had on her back. He placed his tail over hers as they rested by the river.

The rest refreshed them, and Humphrey was relieved to see-or rather, _not_ see-that his visions did not disturb him that night. They padded back to the Pack Den to see the celebration that was going on for Lily's birthday party. The feast of caribou was delightful, and it seemed that for the first time in moons, they could all have fun; the wolves were socializing, eating, resting, playing, and getting to know one another. Had a simple birthday been all that it took to bring so many together, Humphrey was positive that the wolves would have all gone for it years ago.

Kate and Humphrey ran into Lily talking with Reba and Janice, allowing them to wish her a happy birthday.

"So," Kate whispered to her sister. "What did Garth do for your birthday?"

"Oh," she replied with a wink. "We just had some alone time." Kate gasped and the two began giggling and talking in hushed tones. Humphrey couldn't hear anything that they were saying in their hushed tones, so he sat down and decided to just look around survey the party.

"WOLF PILE!" Those words were all he heard before he was flattened to the ground by his three best friends. Humphrey laughed along with Salty, Shakey, and Mooch as they got off of him. Kate and Lily rolled their eyes as the four wolves caught up on recent events. Humphrey felt slightly guilty for not spending time with his friends; he'd been so caught up with spending time with Kate that he'd all but abandoned the three wolves he befriended back in his puphood.

He cast a glance towards Kate and she winked at him. He smiled and went off to join in fun and games with his friends. He was surprised by the amount of questions that they pestered him with. The first (and definitely most embarrassing) was the question of if they had mated or not. The answer, of course, was that they hadn't yet and that he'd only do so when she was ready to, but that answer only seemed to make things worse and make the coo and tease him about it. He ignored it as they launched into many other questions regarding his whereabouts with Kate.

Once their questions and ceased, they began to do what they always seemed to do best: make jokes and have fun. Humphrey was shocked to see the physical condition of his three friends. Mooch had begun to steadily lose weight in fat and build more in muscle whereas Salty and Shakey were beginning to grow muscle where only lithe, nimble limbs had been before. The training was obviously paying off for them, though it didn't work out too well for Humphrey.

They kindly gave him tips that they used for their training, and even Mooch had passed out the first day. This rekindled some of Humphrey's previous drive to succeed in his training with Kate, but nevertheless, he was apprehensive of what the events of the next day would bring.

Finally, it was time for the tradition where the father of the wolf whose birthday was being celebrated would recite an original speech for his pup and the night would end with a glorious Midnight Howl.

"Today marks a great day, and a very proud one for me," Winston spoke. Lily shuffled her paws in embarrassment. He smiled and continued his speech while Humphrey found his way beside Kate. She smiled as he sat next to her. "To see my youngest daughter reach her second birthday, and most especially, her second birthday as a Leader She-Wolf, is one of the proudest moments of my life. Lily; may you and Garth live to see another happy year, and we-"

Humphrey was no longer listening. His ears rang with an insatiable fury; his vision was distorted and red. The wolves around him transformed into ghoulish, zombie-like apparitions of their former selves; their fur was torn away, blood leaking from various scars and wounds dotting their bodies. Lily sat beside her corpse-like father, her snow-white fur falling away and her body turning to dust. Kate sat next to him, unscathed and smiling at her sister. He returned his gaze to Lily to see her transform into the dark wolf, the crimson eyes gleaming from her sockets.

_"If you will not discover the truth," it said. "Then you and your pack shall burn. They will die slowly and painfully unless you kill them first. Go ahead, Humphrey. Go ahead, little Omega. SHOW THEM MERCY!"_

"Humphrey?" Kate asked. Humphrey blinked to see the wolves around him staring at him, confused and worried expressions on their faces. Humphrey's fur was standing on end, his claws digging deep into the ground. For the first time in his life, his lips were beginning to pull back to show his fangs. He looked at himself, trying to make sense of everything. Winston eyed Humphrey suspiciously, Lily's head tilted in concern. "Humphrey, are you alright?" Kate asked him.

"Y-yeah," he replied, beginning to walk away. "Must be something I ate." The wolves were silent as he parted ways, heading down to the river. The moonlight cast an eerie glow on the forest around him. He walked up to the river and leaped in, cooling himself down again. He walked back onto the shoreline, shaking himself dry. He looked across the river to see the dark wolf glaring at him. Humphrey's blood ran cold, his heart skipped a beat, and his eyes were transfixed on the dark wolf in fear.

_ "Truth is the answer, Humphrey," it said. "Humphrey. Humphrey. Humphrey-"_

"HUMPHREY!" Kate screamed. Humphrey jumped in shock from hearing her voice. He hadn't heard, scented, or seen her coming behind him. He cowered away for a moment before he realized that Kate was in front of him. He gasped for air, looking at her, then back across the river. The dark wolf was gone. "Humphrey, look at me!" He did as she said and was met with the crimson eyes of the dark wolf.

_"Yes, Humphrey," it growled. "Look at me. Listen to me. Pay attention to me. Dream of me. KILL ME!" It leapt at him again, jaws closing in around his neck and tearing his life from him. He screamed in terror, knowing death was coming._

"Humphrey, snap out of it!" Kate screamed. She was becoming desperate; he was acting as though he was an old, trapped animal, scared of a predator that was about to kill him. He backed himself into a tree stump, muttering strange words under his breath. Kate grabbed him by the scruff and shook him, trying to get him to talk to her. This only seemed to make things worse, for Humphrey began to scream uncontrollably.

She shoved him into the river, hoping the water would snap him out of his trance, but that didn't seem to help.

_Humphrey wasn't waking up. Why couldn't he wake up? The dark wolf tore his neck to pieces and he was still awake! Now, it was trying to drown him! His legs flailed and he tried to break free of the wolf's iron grip, hoping to get away, but it dragged him to shore. He curled up in a feeble ball, shivering. The dark wolf draped itself on top of him, whispering death into his ear._

Kate pulled him out of the water, desperately trying to get him to talk, but he was shivering uncontrollably. In an attempt to get him warm, she climbed on top of him, sharing her body heat with his. Tears leaked from her eyes as she tried to get her mate to talk to her. There was something terribly wrong with Humphrey, and he was falling apart in front of her.

"Please, Humphrey," she whispered into his ear. "Please my love; please talk to me. Please say something. Anything, Humphrey; please. Please."

_"You killed your pack, Humphrey," the dark wolf whispered. "You killed them; you killed them all. Admit it Humphrey. All of them, Humphrey; all. ALL."_

**A/N: Well, this was a short yet eventful chapter! Surprised that I updated twice today? I sure as hell am! Well, well, well, Humphrey! Looks like you're going a bit crazy there, eh? I got a pretty good idea where I want this story to go and all day I've been coming up with new things I wanted the throw into the plot and make it deeper and more involving. It's definitely keeping me on my toes, so to say! I'm generally spending my time playing video games, playing music on my guitar, hanging out with friends, or reading, but this story has definitely got gears moving around in my head! I spent just about the entire day storyboarding and coming up with new ideas I want to incorporate into this story. I think this should be around twenty to thirty chapters at the most, and don't worry, they won't be as short as this and the first one. They'll all mostly be around 3000 to 4000 words or more (not too long and not too short) at least for the beginning until the story gets deeper where chapters will be around 7000 to 8000 per chapter. Anyhow, thanks for reading, and if you haven't seen Chapter 3 yet, go check it out! Until next time!**

**-The Dishonored Wolf**


	5. Howl at Twilight

_Everything was dark. He couldn't see anything, not even his own body. Yet he could hear the distant, muffled voices of other wolves talking above him. He couldn't feel, smell, taste, or see, but he could hear the talking. He strained his ears to listen, hoping that he would be able to pick out whatever was going on. The voices began to get clearer and he could hear Kate's voice above him._

_ "It's all my fault," she sobbed. "I pushed him too hard when I was training him; he just couldn't take it!"_

_ "It's not your fault, Kate," Winston replied sympathetically. If he could do anything, Humphrey would have instantly seconded that statement. His nightmares didn't have anything to do with Kate at all! "This was a bad idea from the start; perhaps we'll only teach the Omegas necessities, like hunting and scenting. Starting Alphas with their training at a young age is crucial, so it shouldn't be such a surprise to us that the Omegas would have to do the same without the physical strain becoming too great."_

_ Well, at least he didn't have to continue with any more training, much less explain his nightmares to everyone. They'd think he'd caught a disease, or even worse-becoming a Mad Wolf. He'd only heard of the Mad Wolves; the insane, mentally unstable, dangerous wolves that were to be killed immediately upon sight. Humphrey didn't exactly feel like becoming a Mad Wolf; he quite enjoyed the prospect of living for the time being._

_ "Enjoy it while it lasts," hissed the dark wolf._

**Later**

It seemed like days had transpired when Humphrey finally woke. He blinked tiredness from his eyes and stretched his sore limbs, yawning. He looked around and found himself in the den he shared with Kate. There was no one to be seen around him. It was around noon, the sun high in the sky, the green leaves gently flowing in the slight breeze.

Humphrey padded down the small slope to the trees and into the forest. The shade cooled his warm fur, the serenity calming his mind. Aside from the occasional bird calls and bugs flying around, the forest was fairly quiet. Despite his desire for fun and constant activity, Humphrey also enjoyed to simply walk in peace and quiet, taking in the wonder of the world around him. He closed his eyes, parting his jaws to scent the air. The world was how it should have always been; calm, peaceful, and a great place to live in harmony. He'd lived in Jasper Park for as long as he could remember; the thought of his nightmares tearing the joy away from him was unbearable.

He scented something sweet coming from his right; he knew that scent better than he knew himself. Kate walked up next to him, her fur against his. Humphrey nuzzled her face, placing his head above hers, her face burying itself in his chest. He didn't know if he was comforting her or not, but the two did not say a word to each other. They stood there for several minutes before ending their embrace. The two walked through the forest and towards Humphrey's favorite log sledding hill near the waterfall. They clambered up a rocky precipice nearby, catching an amazing view of Jasper Park as it neared the end of summer, transitioning into the autumn months. Autumn always meant a great deal to Humphrey; it was the first time he'd lost Kate due to Alpha school. He almost lost her again in the stampede, but fate decided otherwise.

Now, Humphrey was afraid. He didn't want to lose her again, yet his visions seemed intent on deciding otherwise. The wind lightly buffeted their fur as they sat together, the waterfall roaring in the distance. Kate turned her amber gaze to Humphrey.

"I know you don't want to talk about it," she began. "But I'm worried about you, Humphrey; please, what happened last night? I've never seen you do that before!" Humphrey looked at the ground. It was shameful what he'd done, and to see Kate put in this position distraught him. He looked at her.

"Remember that night a few days ago when I had that dream?" He asked. She nodded and he continued. "I've been seeing that dark wolf everywhere; in my dreams, in the forest, even as friends. When Winston was giving that speech about Lily, everyone around me lost their fur, skin, everything. They were walking nightmares. I saw Lily turn into the dark wolf, but I don't know why I was growling like that. I thought I couldn't move at all, but evidently I could.

"When I ran to the river, I saw it again. You came up and when I turned to see you, all I saw was the dark wolf. I don't really know what happened; I thought I was in a nightmare. I saw it tear my throat apart, try to drown me, and then it laid on top of me and threatened me until I blacked out. That's all I remember of what happened, but that's what's been happening, Kate. I can't go anywhere without seeing that wolf, and it's starting to drive me insane."

Kate looked at him in worry, and then recounted what really happened at the speech and by the river. Humphrey had begun to growl and snarl at Lily, and it looked as though he was about to attack her. Kate ended up nudging him and talking to him in an attempt to figure out what he was doing. When Kate found him at the river, he looked terrified to see her. She recounted the true events where she grabbed his scruff and shook him, pushed him into the water to try and snap him out of his trance, and then draped herself over him to keep him warm, asking him to talk to her.

Humphrey was shocked to hear what had truly transpired around him. It was truly something he regretted and had no wanting to repeat unintentionally. He looked at the ground in shame, worried that he'd upset the pack by his actions. Kate affectionately nuzzled him and the two set off for the Pack Den. When she brought up the Moonlight Howl, he became significantly more cheerful. The Moonlight Howl happened once every week, and they hadn't had the chance to do so with each other since the stampede.

Kate began to tell Humphrey about going easier on him in training and Winston's amendments to the Omega work-out schedules. He was happy to hear that he wouldn't have to do anymore of the complicated maneuvers that Kate could pull off, and he was elated to discover that she'd be teaching him the art of stealth and hunting the next day. Humphrey admired the way the Alphas hunted and could clearly visualize himself running alongside Kate, taking down a caribou together and sharing in a delightful meal once more.

The Pack Den was bustling with activity as wolves ate quickly and readied themselves for twilight when the Moonlight Howl would begin. As the leaders of the New Pack, Garth and Lily would take the lead at the peak of the Howling Mountain. Humphrey and Kate would take up the ledge on the far side which-in Humphrey's opinion-was the second best spot to howl from on the mountain. Ironically, it was the same rocky outcropping that Garth had shown off his howl to Kate and the rest of the pack. Humphrey still made jokes about that horrendous, ear-splitting howl. In turn, Garth would mock Humphrey's physical state. After a while of jabs, Kate and Lily would break up the argument and turn their sour moods away from each other.

"Kate!" Winston called. "Humphrey!" They looked up to see Winston and Eve waiting for the two at their new den. Humphrey grew nervous, but Kate gave him a reassuring smile as the two walked up to their den. The obvious question that Winston had was how Humphrey was feeling. He responded to tell him that he felt better and caught up on much-needed sleep.

"Now, let's get to the point," Eve said. "Humphrey, dear; why were you growling at my little angelic daughter?" His eyes darted and his pulse quickened as he tried to tell them what the reason was without making them think he'd gone completely insane when Kate quickly spoke.

"It was nothing," she said. "I didn't feel too well from that caribou we ate, either; I think there must have been something wrong with it. He was just hallucinating, right, Humphrey?" He quickly nodded, giving her a grateful look.

"Well, I don't-" Eve began.

"-think there's anything more to discuss," Winston cut in. "I'm glad you're feeling better, Humphrey, and I'm sorry that your meal ailed you so." Humphrey accepted his response with gratitude and apologized for his disruption. Eve walked up to Humphrey, eyeing him before smiling.

"Well, just before you go," she said, running her tail under Humphrey's chin. "I'd just like to tell you that if you _ever_ do that to my daughter again, I will personally tear off your tail, wrap it around that little neck of yours and hang you with it. Then I will proceed to make a necklace out of your dead, decaying fur and tie your teeth that I will inevitably rip out of your mouth around it, and then I'll wear it for all of the wolves of the New Pack to see every day until I die."

Winston's jaw was agape as he stared at Eve, shocked at her response. Kate began to whistle and look around the room, and Humphrey stood rigid as though he were petrified. His fur stood on end, his body shaking, his eyes wide with fear.

"Ah, yes, and I'll do far worse to you if you so much as look at Kate in any unorthodox way," she added. "I'd prefer that she keeps her virginity as long as she lives."

"_MOM_!" Kate exclaimed, horrified.

"_OKAY_, I think that's enough!" Winston interjected. "Run along, you two! Get something to eat before the Moonlight Howl!" They bolted out of the den, leaving Winston and Eve alone. Eve gathered herself up and smiled, delighted.

"Such a good boy he is, don't you think, honey?" She commented before walking away. Winston was still gaping, his gaze following her as she walked to the back of their den.

"I hope you know what you're in for, Humphrey," he gulped.

"You know," Kate said to the terrified Humphrey. "She was just kidding around, right?"

"I've heard enough stories about your mom to know she wasn't just making jokes, Kate," Humphrey replied. "She doesn't really seem like the fun-loving type." Kate laughed at his response and did her best to reassure him. Lily and Garth walked by, and Humphrey ran in front of them. He apologized to Lily, who luckily was perfectly fine with it.

"That's okay, Humphrey," she said cheerfully. "It made the night a lot more interesting!"

"Hey," he laughed. "Maybe I should growl at you more often!"

"Yeah," Garth growled, stepping up beside his mate. "Don't do that." They walked away, leaving Kate and Humphrey alone. The sun began to set and the moon rose high into the sky. The wolves took up positions around the mountain, sitting by their mates and friends as they did so.

For many, this would be a time to hang out with friends or sing with their mates. For others, this would be a time for wolves to find their mates. When two wolves' howls matched perfectly, they knew that they were fit to be mates. If not, they knew that they would either not be mates or that they wouldn't spend a whole lot of their relationships howling together.

Salty in particular had told Humphrey about his eye on Sweets, another laidback she-wolf he'd met in the past moons. He received permission from Winston and Eve prior to their resignation to sing to her a song he'd been working on personally. Humphrey couldn't honestly say he'd ever heard Salty howl before; Mooch and Shakey he'd heard plenty of times, mainly out of mere fun. Salty, however, never howled. Ever. He was the silent one of the group when it came to howling, and so, too, Salty explained, was Sweets.

Humphrey was shocked to hear Salty actually ask Humphrey for advice on how to approach her, using the excuse of his relationship with Kate as a way to ask for his assistance in the matter. Quite frankly, Humphrey hardly knew the reasons that Kate inevitably fell for him aside from his personality and caring for her. When he tried to tell Salty that, he gave him a lost expression and said he'd 'just wing it.' Humphrey was nervous for Salty; his friend was obviously head over paws for her, but without ever hearing his howl before, he was apprehensive for his performance.

Kate was down by the river washing herself as Humphrey sat on the ledge waiting for her. The moon was nearly aligned with the peak of the mountain, signaling that the Moonlight Howl was about to begin. Humphrey heard something next to him and turned to see Kate walking up to him. The moonlight glistened off of her newly groomed, tawny fur. It looked as though Lily had added her own personal flare to Kate with a type of dark material on the bottom of her eye lids, something that Lily called 'eyeliner.' Kate smiled at Humphrey's star-struck expression, laughing. She greeted him with and affectionate lick.

"Why, hello, hansom," she said.

"Hey, beautiful," he replied. From his side, he added one last finishing touch to Kate by sticking a small rose in her fur. She smiled and then pointed to where Salty was taking up position on a rock ledge. Sweets and a friend halted to look up at him in confusion. Everyone was silent as he began.

"This is for you, Sweets!" He called down. Humphrey's anxiety heightened just by him saying that. It definitely wasn't the best way to start off. His apprehension was quickly washed away when Salty began to sing.

**I could be mean, I could be angry,**

**You know I could be just like you!**

**I could be fake, I could be stupid,**

**You know I could be just like you!**

**You thought you were standing beside me, but you were only in my way,**

**You're wrong if you think that I'll be just like you!**

_**You thought you were there to guide me,**_

_**But you were only in my way!**_

_**You're wrong if you think that I'll be just like you!**_

_**You thought you were there to guide me,**_

_**You were only in my way!**_

_**You're wrong if you think that I'll be just like you!**_

**I could be cold, and I could be ruthless,**

**You know I could be just like you!**

**I could be weak, I could be senseless,**

**You know I could be just like you!**

**You thought you were standing beside me, but you were only in my way,**

**You're wrong if you think that I'll be just like you!**

_**You thought you were there to guide me,**_

_**But you were only in my way!**_

_**You're wrong if you think that I'll be just like you!**_

_**You thought you were there to guide me,**_

_**But you were only in my way!**_

_**You're wrong if you think that I'll be just like you!**_

**I'm on my own,**

'**Cuz I can't take living with you!**

**I'm all alone,**

**So I won't turn out the way you want me to!**

**You thought you were standing beside me,**

**But you were only in my way,**

**You're wrong if you think that I'll be JUST LIKE YOU!**

_**You thought you were there to guide me,**_

_**But you were only in my way!**_

_**You're wrong if you think that I'll be just like you!**_

_**You thought you were there to guide me,**_

_**But you were only in my way!**_

_**You're wrong if you think that I'll be just like you!**_

**I could be mean, and I could be angry**

**You know I could be JUST LIKE YOU!**

The wolves were speechless to hear how amazing of a singer that Salty was. When he finished, he looked around nervously, his ears flat against his head. He must have assumed nobody liked his performance. He lowered his head and walked away until everyone began to cheer. He looked around in confusion, wondering why everyone cheering. Humphrey howled to him to get back over and keep howling. Salty smiled and sat down beside Shakey and Mooch when suddenly, he was knocked back by Sweets. She leaned over and nuzzled him. He stared at her in shock before his eyes rolled back and he fainted. Everyone around began to laugh as he tried to sit up.

"Whoa," he said as Sweets sat next to him. For the rest of the night, wolves howled together. Salty was one of the very few wolves that howled in front of everyone. Otherwise, all of the wolves sang at once. Humphrey was positive that he wouldn't have had the courage to do that himself.

Kate and Humphrey had planned out what song they should make moons ago, keeping it to themselves exclusively. The two began to howl, their voices intermixing and joining into one, amazing voice. The two sang the lovely duet, alternating lyrics in between.

**I'm just a step away, I'm just a breath away, losing my faith today,**

_**I'm falling off the edge today!**_

**I've got to make a stand, but I am just a wolf,**

_**I am not a super-wolf!**_

**Someone save me from the hate!**

**It's just another war, just another family torn,**

_**Falling from my faith today!**_

**Just a step from the edge, it's just another day in the world we live!**

**I NEED A HERO, TO SAVE ME NOW!**

**I need a hero,**

_**To save me now!**_

**I NEED A HERO, TO SAVE MY LIFE!**

**A hero to save me,**

_**Just in time!**_

**I've got to fight today, to live another day, speaking my mind to day,**

_**My voice will be heard today!**_

**I've got to make a stand, but I am just a wolf,**

_**I am not a super-wolf!**_

**It's just another war, just another family torn,**

_**My voice will be heard today!**_

**It's just another kill, the countdown begins to destroy ourselves!**

**I NEED A HERO, TO SAVE ME NOW!**

**I need a hero!**

_**To save me now!**_

**I NEED A HERO, TO SAVE MY LIFE!**

**I need a hero!**

_**Just in time!**_

**I NEED A HERO, TO SAVE MY LIFE!**

**I need a hero!**

_**Just in time!**_

**Save me just in time! Save me just in time!**

Then, the two began to sing together.

_**Who's going to fight for what's right, who's going to help us survive?**_

_**We're in the fight of our lives, and we're not ready to die!**_

_**Who's going to fight for the weak, who's going to make us believe?**_

**I've got a hero, **_**I've got a hero,**_

**LIVING IN ME!**

**I'm going to fight for what's right, today I'm speaking my mind!**

**And if it kills me tonight, **_**I will be ready to die!**_

**A hero's not afraid to give his life,**

_**A hero's going to save me just in time!**_

**I NEED A HERO, TO SAVE ME NOW!**

**I need a hero!**

_**To save me now!**_

**I NEED A HERO, TO SAVE MY LIFE!**

**A hero to save me!**

_**Just in time!**_

As they finished their song, the wolves began to cheer for the two. They hadn't noticed that everyone had stopped to listen to them, and the two flattened their ears in embarrassment. Humphrey grinned and looked at his mate, nuzzling her.

"You're amazing, Mrs. Alpha," she smiled and winked at him.

"You're not so bad yourself, Mr. Omega," the two laughed and for the first time in days, Humphrey could finally enjoy himself. It seemed that the dark wolf was gone for good, reinforcing his thoughts that he'd simply eaten something rotten that caused the nightmares and hallucinations.

With his mate by his side, his friends surrounding him, and the New Pack thriving, Humphrey felt infinite, completely invulnerable to everything. He would learn to hunt and become a better wolf for Kate, one that she truly deserved. The cool, crisp air chilled their fur, and after several hours of joyful howling, the wolves retreated to their individual dens.

Humphrey and Kate walked inside theirs, cuddling together and sharing their warmth with one another. Humphrey licked Kate and nuzzled her, causing her to giggle and return his affectionate gestures. He peered around his den, looking for a sign of the dark wolf but found none. His eyes felt heavy and he fell asleep alongside his mate. For the first time in days, he slept peacefully.

**A/N: Thanks for reading, everyone! The names of the songs were "Just Like You by Three Days Grace" and "Hero by Skillet." I was originally going to use a Breaking Benjamin song for Humphrey and Kate, but then thought better of it and looked through my iPod (and searching 4500 songs for a good duet is not an easy task!) and came across Hero, a song I haven't listened to in over a year. I ended up changing some of the lyrics to fit the scenario (rather than 'human' I put in 'wolf' in the song).**

**Despite my love and adoration for music, I have to say that once I get new music or get into a new band, I regret getting it because then you forget all the great music you have that you're missing out on! Nevertheless, I still love the thousands of songs I have on my iPod and it really helps to listen to them while writing!**

**Well, it looks like Humphrey is finally getting rid of those nightmares and enjoying himself! Good sign, right? Plus, he gets to learn how to hunt now! AWESOME AS HELL! Also, thanks to imjustlikehumphrey for leaving a review on my last chapters! Thanks for the support, I love when I get a new review on my stories (Though if possible, try not to put TOO MANY spoilers in your reviews!)! Also, if you have any suggestions for what I can improve on this story, I'm open to any constructive criticism that you guys and girls have out there! Until next time!**

**-The Dishonored Wolf**


	6. The Young Wolf

As much as Humphrey loved Kate, he absolutely could not stand her teaching methods. As a friend and mate, she exceeded any possible expectations, but as a mentor, she was horrendous. Humphrey found it incredibly difficult to hunt, and the fact that Kate decided to teach him to hunt caribou as his first prey didn't make the experience any better. She thought that it would be a better choice to have him learn paws-on, telling him to "follow his instincts."

That was all well and good, but the flaw in Kate's analogy was that Humphrey didn't have any developed hunting instincts yet. She was thoroughly confused by this, assuming that he and all other wolves were born with the instinct to hunt. She didn't seem to understand that Omegas never did anything but have fun, meaning that they never developed survival or hunting instincts. The only instinct they had acquired was the ability to crack jokes when the time was right (or sometimes wrong).

Humphrey became more and more frustrated when he couldn't seem to make the correct attack form. Kate sat nearby, instructing him in how his body was supposed to be positioned, but not actually showing him. Going off of the description of a form was far more difficult than actually seeing it. Unfortunately, Kate didn't seem to understand this. Finally, she leaped from her perch on a dirt mound and walked next to Humphrey.

"Here, like this," she said. She crouched down, pressing her chest to the ground, her hindquarters raised slightly higher than torso. Her hind legs tensed, her claws sinking into the ground in front of her. Her tail lightly brushed the ground, her head lowered, ears pressed back. Her eyes narrowed and her head lowered to the ground.

Humphrey watched her do this and copied her form as best as he could. She smiled and nodded her approval. Then, she began to slowly slink forward, careful not to step on anything that could make unwanted noises like sticks or leaves. She was perfectly soundless, her movements fluid and graceful as she crept forward.

He followed her as she crept through the forest. He rounded a tree and found her eyeing a small hare. Her hind claws sheathed, her fore claws unsheathing. They stayed still for a few moments before Kate chose her moment and leaped at the hare, claws outstretched. She grabbed the hare and quickly brought her jaws down around its neck. She swiftly jerked her head and snapped the hare's neck. It slumped in her mouth, dead. Humphrey watched it transpire in awe. So much had happened in just a mere few seconds.

She walked back and dug a hole in the ground, placing the hare inside. She covered the hare and began to roll on the ground near it. Once she'd finished, she rubbed her body against the tree next to the hole, circling it several times. Humphrey realized that she was marking the kill with her scent. She led him silently through the forest, the two low to the ground.

Kate stopped and looked at Humphrey, eying him. He parted his jaws, scenting the air. He picked up his own scent and Kate's. He could smell the stale trace of Tony and garth. Judging by the scent trail, they had walked through the forest some hours ago. He could pick up the scent of the oaks around him, a holly bush nearby, a thrush mother attending to her chicks in a nearby roost. Suddenly, he caught the scent of a possum. His eyes narrowed and he followed the scent, stealthily tracking it. He saw the creature basking in the sunlight. He did as Kate had earlier, copying her movements. The wind buffeted his fur. Just as he jumped, the possum bolted away from him into the forest. He slammed his paw into the ground the possum had just been in in anger. Kate padded up to him.

"You were downwind of it, Humphrey," she said, reassuringly. "Don't beat yourself up over it, it happens to everyone."

"I almost had it!" He growled.

"Come on, there's plenty more in the forest. Let's try again." She smiled and the two set off once again.

The potential animals that they did come across were generally too small to consider a decent meal. The sun was beginning to set and after another failed attempt at hunting, Humphrey's morale was beginning to fade. Kate sympathized for him; he clearly wanted to hunt, but his luck had run thin. Dusk had arrived and Humphrey was still intent on hunting. Kate padded up to him.

"Come on, Humphrey," she said. "We can try again another time."

"But for all we know there could be something to catch just over there!" Humphrey pleaded.

"The prey won't be going anywhere, Humphrey," Kate said, turning back. "It'll still be here tomorrow." Humphrey looked disappointed but complied and walked back with her. Kate looked at him and smiled. "You did well today."

"I didn't catch anything," he replied miserably.

"Come on; remember all the times that I botched a hunt for the whole pack _after_ Alpha School? You're doing well for your first time out hunting!" Humphrey knew that she was trying to offer condolence for him, but it didn't keep him from being disappointed for that night.

**The Next Day**

Kate was alone. Humphrey was off enjoying himself with his friends, allowing her to have some time to herself. She walked through the forest, walking to towards her favorite spot in the forest. It was the place that she first met Humphrey. Ironically, it was also the place that she'd departed for Alpha School from. She leaped over a fallen tree and made it to the small clearing. She remembered the day that she found the spot, the day she met her future mate.

_ Kate was a rambunctious she-pup, and was-to her parents' distress-quite a rule-breaker. She was told that she had to be a 'good young Alpha' all the time, but never took head to those words. She didn't even know what an Alpha was! Her father was out with a hunting group and her mother was too busy tending to a small cut that Lily received on her paw to notice Kate sneak out of the den._

_ Pups were strictly forbidden to exit their parents' den until they were one moon of age, and they were only allowed to do so with a parent to watch over them. It was when they reached the age of three moons that they were permitted outside. Kate, however, wanted to be the first pup to explore the forest alone, despite the Laws of the Pack. _

_ She bounded through the forest, adventuring through the undergrowth and chasing butterflies and other small bugs. The scents of the forest overwhelmed her. He had never thought that so many smells could exist at once; then again, she didn't know what existed beyond her own den. She was, after all, only thirty days old. She ran into a small clearing and found a lone grey pup looking around. There was something different about the pup; it seemed to be more sturdily built, its face more angular like her father's. _

This is one odd pup,_ she thought, watching it. She saw it looking around, scenting the air. She tilted her head to the side, wondering what it was doing. She'd never seen a wolf scent the air before, so the action was foreign to her. She padded quietly towards the pup. It saw her and became frightened. It darted into a bush and stared at her from within. Its eyes were a blue hue, similar to the sky above. The pup was confused to see her amber eyes and tawny pelt. _

_ "Hi!" Kate greeted. The pup hid further, causing Kate to frown. She smiled and perked up her ears. "I'm Kate! What's your name?" It crawled forward a bit, allowing her to see the pup's face._

_ "I-I," the pup stuttered. "I'm H-Humphrey."_

_ "Hi, Hahumphrey!" She exclaimed._

_ "No, it's just Humphrey," it corrected her. She was surprised to hear that she got its name wrong. She could have sworn that it said Hahumphrey!_

_ "Oh, sorry!" She apologized. "Hi, Just Humphrey!" It gave her a quizzical look and slowly came out._

_ "Where am I?" It asked._

_ "Oh, I know that one!" Kate said joyfully. "You're in Jasper Park, Canada! But you can also call it Canada, Jasper Park! Or you can call it Jasper Canada Park, or Park Canada Jasper, or Park Jasper Canada, or you can have a lot of fun a say it backwards! Do you know what it is backwards?" It shook his head. "I do! It's Krap Adanac Repsaj!"_

_ The pup's face contorted and it rolled on the ground laughing. Kate joined in and laughed along with it. After its convulsing laughter subsided, it stood up and looked at her._

_ "You're funny!" It said._

_ "You are, too!" She countered. "What are you anyway? You're a weird looking pup!"_

_ "I'm a wolf!" The pup exclaimed. She shook her head._

_ "No! I know that part! I'm a she-wolf! But what are you? You don't look like my mom or sister; you look more like my dad!"_

_ "Oh, I'm a boy," he explained. Now she understood. When he said that, she became very wary of him. Her mother always told her, 'Stay away from boys! They're nothing but trouble!' Was she going to get in trouble for being around him? He didn't seem bad!_

_ "Where are your parents?" She asked. "Pups can't be out unless they're three moons old!"_

_ "I'm almost three moons," Humphrey told her. "I'm two and a half!" Kate was astounded to hear that he was older than her. He was almost allowed to leave his parents' den without their supervision! She wasn't even allowed to with her parents! _

_ The two heard a crack behind Humphrey. He turned around and Kate caught a brief glimpse of a large wolf standing over them. _

Kate couldn't remember anything else. She assumed her father found her and Humphrey and brought them back. She remembered her parents being furious, keeping her inside their den longer than for two weeks longer than Lily had to. Humphrey was an outcast; no one knew where he came from or who his parents were. His fur bore no scent of another animal, just the smell of the forest and his own natural scent.

He was taken in by Salty's family and he became close friends with Salty, Shakey, and Mooch thereafter. Humphrey and Kate remained close friends throughout their time as pups until Kate left for Alpha School. She stood there, smiling at the happy memory of seeing Humphrey for the first time. He was nothing more than a small scrap of grey fur, and she no more than a smaller scrap of tawny.

Thinking back on it now, she realized just how adorable Humphrey looked back then. The changes they underwent since that day were tremendous. Kate was formerly a rambunctious, adventurous she-pup, and now she was a dutiful, law abiding, beautiful young Alpha she-wolf. Humphrey was formerly a small, shy pup, but was now an easy going, fun loving, handsome young Omega wolf and currently her best friend and mate. To see be with him now was almost like an amazing dream for Kate; a dream she refused to let go of.

She padded towards the place that Humphrey hid, remembering the look of fear and shyness in his eyes. She scented the air, wondering if a trace of his cent still remained. She knew that it would not, but found something growing next to the tree. She looked at it and found a patch of violet flowers blooming, one of which was already picked. Next to it, she found an image of herself drawn into the dirt. It must have been drawn fairly recently for it to have remained, and found Humphrey's scent all over the flowers and the picture. It was a drawing of her.

Her heart blossomed like the flowers; she was so happy to be with Humphrey. He truly was devoted to her, a kind, caring, loving mate. She couldn't ask for a better companion to spend her life with. She sat down and began to draw next to it with her claw. Twice she messed up, and she would brushed her tail over the dirt and redo her drawing. When it was finished, there was now an image of Humphrey next to her own. She smiled and marked the tree, mingling her scent with Humphrey's. She picked one of the flowers and carefully placed it in her fur. She padded away, smiling.

Unbeknownst to her, another presence was watching her. Two blue eyes peered from the trees, watching her leave. Humphrey walked over to the spot he drew the picture and saw an image of Kate next to it. He smiled and walked in a different direction, eagerly awaiting the time when he could see her back at the Pack Den.

**A/N: Well, there you have it! Thanks to imjustlikehumphrey, (Guest), and Alexander for their reviews on my last chapter! I was able to write this now because it turned out school was canceled because this freak blizzard came out of nowhere and froze up all of the roads (that's what you get for living next to Lake Michigan) so I had a lot of free time on my hands! Plus, the High School conferences are tomorrow so I can probably update two more times by tomorrow night! Until next time!**

**-The Dishonored Wolf**


	7. The Spirit of the Hunter

**A/N: This story will become Rated M next chapter, so stay wary of that if you plan on following the rest of the story!**

Kate sat upon a rocky outcropping that gave her a splendid view of the valley below. She let the cool air cool her fur, enjoying the luxury of the day. She closed her eyes and smiled. Today was Humphrey's birthday; she had everything planned out. She got word out to the rest of the pack on where to go, when to go there and how they would surprise him. She was surprised by the amount of wolves that were willing to help. Save for some parents whose pups kept them too busy, the vast majority of the New Pack was ecstatic to help out.

Her amber gaze drifted over the valley to see Humphrey down below, practicing the hunting maneuvers that Kate had taught him earlier the previous day. She watched as he did the same moves that she did when hunting. He slunk into the grass, watching a log. He practicing his pouncing on it, but misjudged his leap and slammed face first into the log. She laughed and continued to watch her mate practice.

She told him that he shouldn't practice in case he got hurt, but he insisted that he at least try. She doubted that he was aware of her watching him from the hilltop, but she felt far better knowing what he was doing. If he was hurt, especially today, then she'd be incredibly distraught. She wouldn't be able to take it if anything happened to him.

It took her a long time to figure out what to do for him; evidently, Garth had just as much trouble figuring something out for Lily until Humphrey helped him. When Kate learned what they did on Lily's birthday, she was shocked to think that Humphrey told Garth told him he should do that and talked to Garth about it. He said that Humphrey never specifically told him to do that, but gave him pointers on how he could find out what to do, reassuring Kate.

She spent the day trying to figure out what she would do for him and eventually came to Lily for advice. She was helpful to Kate, happy to give advice to her older sister who always seemed to be giving orders and instructions to her. They talked it over for a while until she finally came up with the perfect idea of what to give him for his birthday. She loved him and he loved her, so her decision on what she could give him was perfect. She searched for a place to give him his gift after she had made sure that it was ready and came up with the perfect spot.

Now, she waited for the day to end when she would go back to the Pack Den and await Humphrey's arrival. She arranged for Salty, Shakey, and Mooch to come keep him busy until dusk so everyone could get into their positions. Candu and Hutch took several teams of wolves to hunt for fresh food for the party, so now it was all up to Kate to make sure that the party went flawlessly. She watched her mate as he continued his hunting practice. She heard someone clear their throat behind her. She turned to see her father standing behind her.

"Oh, hi Dad!" She greeted.

"Hey there, Kate," he replied. "Mind if I join you?"

"Not at all, come on," she responded cheerfully. He leaped up to the perch and sat next to her. His grey fur now had streaks of white running down his flank. What was grey was beginning to turn silver. The ravages of age were definitely affecting her father as he grew older. He was eight years old. Kate knew what that meant, but she didn't want to think of it. He was an old wolf, yet his looks were deceiving at times. He was just as lithe and able-bodied as any youthful Alpha despite his age. The two sat there, looking out over the valley.

He smiled when he saw Humphrey practicing the hunting maneuvers. Kate followed his gaze and watched Humphrey stalk an unsuspecting hare. Her muscles tensed and she leaned forward. He had perfect form and posture; there was no doubt that he would finally catch his first bit of prey. They watched him intently as he leapt. But Humphrey was upwind and the hare caught his scent. It bolted back into his hole in the side of the hill before Humphrey caught it. He slammed his paw down in anger.

"You've taught him well, Kate," Winston observed. "No doubt he'll become a great hunter. I can see it in his eyes just as I saw it in yours; he has the spark. He'll be a hunter without question."

"He just beats himself up over it," she said. "I can tell that he wants to really bad, but when he fails, he can't stand it."

"Hmm" Winston nodded. He smiled and glanced at Kate. "Reminds me of a certain Alpha I know of. She wasn't too happy with failure in her life, either." Kate blushed, looking down at her paws.

"But I was able to succeed," she said, looking at him. "That was mainly because I had a good teacher." He smiled and they watched as Humphrey try to catch more small prey, the animals scurrying away from him mere milliseconds before he caught them. He snarled and slashed at the bark on the fallen tree. He sat down in frustration, taking deep breaths to calm himself down.

"I'm proud of you, Kate," Winston said. She looked at him, confused.

"What for?" She inquired.

"You realized where you belong," he replied. "I can see that you and Humphrey are happy together, and to see you happy is more than I could have ever wanted. I should have never agreed to Tony's plan for a truce; I want you to be happy, and if you are happy with him, I know that I've done my job as a father.

"I can tell that he cares about you. He cares for you more than himself, it would seem. I can't imagine my little pup with any other wolf. I'm happy to see you with him."

"Thank you, Dad," she said with a smile. She was overjoyed to hear her father say that. It meant a lot to her to hear that her father was accepting of her relationship with Humphrey. "If only I could convince Mom to think the same as you."

"Don't pay her any mind, Kate; she's just reluctant to let you go. All parents are. It's so hard to let you go, but you'll understand when you have pups of your own-and don't worry, I'll make sure that Eve doesn't kill Humphrey when that happens." She gave a grateful smile to him and they sat there watching Humphrey.

"Speaking of your mate," Winston observed, nudging her. "I think he's found what he's looking for." She followed his gaze and saw Humphrey less than thirty meters away from a caribou. It was an old male, vulnerable but just as formidable. Kate's eyes widened in worry and she began to race towards him when Winston stopped her. She looked at him, his gaze entirely fixated upon Humphrey. "Let him be. I think he's seen the Spirit."

"The Spirit" was the sense of Predator and Prey, Hunter and Hunted, Kill and Killer. It was what every wolf saw in its prey when they were hunting, the sense that they knew without a doubt that they'd be able to take down its prey. If Humphrey saw the Spirit, then he would take down that caribou. If he didn't, though, there was a very good chance that the caribou would turn and gore him. A lone wolf was not generally the best hunter, especially against such large prey. Still, Winston kept her back.

Humphrey stealthily slunk forward, using every movement and tactic that Kate used and taught him. He followed everything she'd said to the letter, watching him intently. The caribou was grazing, eating the short grass as Humphrey walked towards it. Somehow, Humphrey finally realized how to stay downwind. It didn't pick up his scent and continued grazing. Winston moved to the far right, Kate following just behind him. They crawled to the edge of the cliff, watching him. Kate could see his eyes fixed on the caribou.

She watched him slowly stalk forward, pausing a few meters away from the caribou. He pulled his lips back in a feral snarl. He ran forward, the caribou hearing and bolting. This time, Humphrey didn't let up. The caribou ran and Humphrey ran with it. Kate and Winston ran alongside the cliff edge, watching him. Humphrey lunged, biting its hind leg. It faulted, tripping, but it kept running. Humphrey ran faster and faster, desperate to catch it. He bit again, this time pulling at its leg. It kicked back in desperation, sending Humphrey sprawling into the dirt. Kate gasped, but Humphrey pulled himself back up and sprinted forward. He ran faster and faster, quickly catching up and biting at it again, though this time more cautiously.

When the moment was right, he leaped, sinking his claws into its flank and biting into its throat and tearing at its neck. Scarlet flashed, glistening in the sunlight. The caribou collapsed, Humphrey going down with it. It rolled over him, but Humphrey pushed it back. He rose up and ripped at its belly with his claws and gave the final death blow, using his fangs to tear into its neck. He did it! He caught his first prey, and a caribou at that!

Winston's eyes widened with amazement, a grin forming on his face. Kate was awestruck and incredibly proud and happy for her mate. She ran to the edge and gave a congratulatory howl. He looked up at her, blood covering his muzzle and flecking his fur pelt. He grinned a bloody smile and returned the howl. Kate bounded towards him, Winston on her tail. She was ecstatic as she ran up to him, tackling him to the ground. She licked his muzzle and nuzzled his chest fur. She finally allowed him to get up and embraced him.

"That was amazing, Humphrey!" She exclaimed. He smiled, seemingly dumbfounded that he had managed to bring down a caribou single-pawed.

"Guess you were right," he breathed. "Not so useless after all." She buried her face in his neck fur.

"You were never useless, Humph," she said. He licked some of the blood from his muzzle when he noticed that it was beginning to get into her fur. Winston padded up to him, breathing heavily.

"I'm starting to lose my energy," he gasped. "I can't keep up with you young ones anymore. Humphrey, I'm going to tell you truthfully right now: that was some of the most impressive hunting I've seen a wolf perform! I'm truly proud of your performance, son." Humphrey stood straighter and smiled, his eyes glowing with gratitude and pride. Kate smiled at him. Winston nodded to them and padded away.

"Winston!" Humphrey called. He stopped and turned. "Don't you want to eat with us?"

"It's your kill, Humphrey!" He replied. "Enjoy it with your mate! Oh, and you might as well call me Dad from now on! You're part of the family, remember?" Humphrey gaped; he never thought of himself as part of Kate's family, thinking they weren't entirely accepting of him.

"Th-thanks, Dad!" He called. Winston smiled and began to job back. Kate smiled and the two began to eat Humphrey's caribou. The animal had plenty of meat and succulent organs that were particularly delightful. When their bellies were full, they walked back to the river and washed the blood and scraps from their fur. Humphrey got an all-too-familiar look in his eyes, but before she could react, Humphrey tackled Kate into the water. She laughed, kicking back at him. Water splashed and they flung water at each other.

Kate got an idea and dove under the water to the bottom of the river. Humphrey looked around, trying to find her. Suddenly, he felt Kate push him up from underneath him. He fell back into the river, laughing. Kate smiled and attacked again, but Humphrey was ready and rolled over. The two ended up on the shoreline, laughing together. When they stopped laughing, they stared into each other eyes. Kate leaned forward and rubbed her nose against his. She stood over him, keeping him pinned to the ground with her paw.

"Just remember who the Alpha is here, my love," she said with a smile. He grinned and grabbed her paw, turning her over and then-much to her surprise-pinned her to the ground. He smiled at her.

"Just remember who the male is here, my love," he retorted. She laughed at the statement.

"Oh, so that's how it's going to be, huh?" Kate asked.

"No, I just like to hear your laugh," he said with a smile. He let her up and the two stood together in a few moments of an awkward silence. Suddenly, they heard three wolves yell "Wolf Pile!" and the two were flattened to the ground. Kate and Humphrey laughed with Salty, Shakey, and Mooch as the five were took part in the wolf pile.

"Hey, Humphrey," Salty said. "Want to go log sledding with us?"

"Yeah, we found this new awesome hill to go on!" Shakey exclaimed.

"Sure thing, guys!" Humphrey responded. "You want to come along, Kate?"

"No, I'm going to go check in on my dad and make sure he didn't get too exhausted walking back home," she replied. The three had arrived just on time; now, it was time to put her plan for Humphrey's birthday into action. "I'll see you back at the Pack Den later!"

"Alright, later, Kate!" Humphrey called as he and his friends raced towards the new log sledding hill. Kate smiled, running to the Pack Den. She had everything ready, and the party was set for him. The night would be perfect!

**A/N: Well, everyone, there's the next chapter! Thanks for reading! Also, I'd like to inform you all that this story will become Rated M next chapter, so if you are planning on reading the rest of this story, you're going to have to look in the M section (for obvious reasons that I doubt I need to go into detail with). Thanks to Alexander for reviewing on my last chapter! Until next time!**

**-The Dishonored Wolf**


	8. Humphrey's Party

**A/N: This chapter includes sexual content. If you are against it, then don't read it. This will be the only chapter with sexual content in it for this story. The story has been changed to Rated M for other reasons that will become very apparent soon enough. Enjoy the chapter!**

Humphrey crashed into the river. Surprisingly enough, the hill that Shakey, Salty, and Mooch found was the same hill he took Kate to earlier that week. The log sled crashed a few meters away, the other three flying into the river as well. They swam to shore, laughing hysterically. Humphrey loved hanging out with them; it was just so much fun! He was disappointed that Kate didn't come along as well; he was positive she would have had a blast!

Suddenly, the three looked at Humphrey and then bolted away. Humphrey called out to them but they ran quickly out of sight; even Mooch managed to keep up with them. Humphrey looked around, confused. This was definitely not something that he'd seen them do before, and it confused him more than he could have thought. They did have tendencies to act strange at times, but this was something completely new to him. There was nothing around him, so they definitely weren't running away from something. He looked at his reflection in the river and saw that his fur was covered in mud. He laughed, assuming that they thought he was a different wolf.

He leapt into the river and washed himself off, cleaning himself thoroughly until his fur pelt was the same grey as it always was, his chest and belly fur white like the snow. He dried himself off and looked at his reflection. He thought his fur looked a bit too straight and shook himself a bit, making his fur more unkempt and giving him a rugged, better-looking appearance. He smiled at his reflection, wondering what Kate would think.

He padded back through the forest, the birds beginning to return to their roosts as the dark descended upon the forest. He was surprised to not hear the sound of any wolves, or the scent traces of any. He could pick up stale scents from earlier that day, but for the most part, there was nothing. He walked back, looking through the trees to find a trace of any other wolf. He found none.

He became increasingly wary of his surroundings, the forest beginning to feel darker and more claustrophobic. He began to hurry through the forest and leapt into the Pack Den. There was no wolves to be seen anywhere. He looked around, wondering where everyone was. He called out, hoping to hear someone. Suddenly, all of the wolves leapt out from behind the rocks and trees, howling.

"Happy Birthday!" They called. Humphrey grinned from ear to ear as all of the wolves encircled him, cheering and congratulating him for his third birthday. Kate walked up and nuzzled him. Wolves began howling around him. He was overwhelmed by the scene, never believing that this would happen to him.

"Why hello, monsieur!" A French-accented voice called from above.

"I say," another, British-accented voice argued. "Haven't we discussed that you are _not_ French?" Kate and Humphrey knew those voices anywhere. Humphrey grinned as Marcel and Paddy fluttered down in front of him. Paddy still carried the satchel of golfing equipment for Marcel across his back. The two hugged the birds, cracking several bones in their bodies. Their eyes bulged as they were embraced by the wolves. Most wolves would have seen the odd sight as something incredibly abnormal, but the New Pack all knew of Marcel and Paddy. Kate and Humphrey were still in their debt for helping them get back home.

"What are you guys doing here?" Humphrey asked.

"We decided to take another round at Jasper for maybe a moon or two," Paddy piped.

"Paddy, please," Marcel warned, glaring at him. Paddy nodded and Marcel smiled, speaking. "We decided to take another trip to Jasper for, oh, a moon or two." He repeated. Kate and Humphrey were still confused as to why Marcel decided to do that to Paddy all the time, but Paddy seemed content with it and never complained.

"So, have you two 'repopulated' yet?" Paddy asked, giggling. Kate's ears flattened in embarrassment, Humphrey giving a slick smile, staring at Kate.

"Paddy, why must you be so rude?" Marcel demanded. "My apologies; we've been making bets on if you have or not."

"What did you bet?" Humphrey asked.

"I bet that you didn't," he responded. "Paddy, on the other hand…"

"I simply said that it was _possible_ that they may have. After all, they _are_ mates now." Paddy countered. Kate shuffled her paws in embarrassment, looking around as though she hadn't heard the two birds bring up the subject.

"Well, if you'd really like to know…" Humphrey began.

"Humphrey!" Kate exclaimed incredulously. The wolves around them laughed. Eve, however, was nearby and growled menacingly at him. Humphrey saw her and gulped.

"Well, if you want to know, we didn't do anything," Humphrey told them quickly.

"Not yet," Kate said. Eve shot a glare at Kate, one that she-quite shockingly-countered. Eve snarled and turned away, stalking back to her den. Then, Paddy took out a small, rectangular object from his bag and placed it on the ground.

"What is that?" Humphrey asked.

"To tell you the truth," Paddy answered as he traced his wing across the surface of its newly brightened surface. "I don't know; but it plays some quite smashing sounds!"

"Like what?" Humphrey asked.

"Like this!" He tapped a triangular symbol on the surface and music began to play from it. All of the wolves leapt back as loud music began to play from the object. Humphrey sniffed it cautiously, discovering the scent of humans covering the object. Then, he pricked his ears to listen to the music. It had a great tune with a human singer that was quite good at what he did. He bobbed his head to the tune and soon enough, the wolves began to have fun, singing and howling along with the song.

**Tonight, my head is spinning**

**I need something to pick me up**

**I've tried but nothing is working**

**I won't stop**

**I won't say I've had enough**

**Tonight, I start the fire**

**Tonight, I break away**

**Break away from everybody!**

**Break away from everything!**

**If you can't stand the way**

**This place is**

**Take yourself to higher places!**

**(ohhh, ohhh)**

**At night I feel like a vampire**

**It's not right**

**I just can't give it up**

**I'll try to get myself higher**

**Let's go**

**We're going to light it up**

**Tonight we start the fire**

**Tonight we break away**

**Break away from everybody!**

**Break away from everything!**

**If you can't stand the way**

**This place is**

**Take yourself to higher places!**

**If you can't stand the way this place is**

**Take (take) yourself (yourself)**

**To higher places**

**Break away from everybody!**

**Break away from everything!**

**If you can't stand the way**

**This place is**

**Take yourself to higher places!**

**(ohh…to higher places)**

**(ohh…to higher places)**

**(ohh…to higher places)**

**Take yourself to higher places!**

The song was so full of energy and got the wolves in higher spirits. They began to dance and sing into the night. Candu and Hutch's hunting parties brought in various large caribou and deer along with several smaller animals for the pups that no longer fed on their mothers' milk.

Humphrey became caught in the haze of dance and song. He and Kate howled together and soon enough, all of the wolf couples and groups of friends began to howl, the voices of nearly one hundred wolves merging into one, strong voice. The yips, barks, and shaky howls of the pups could be heard as they tried to join in the howl. Even Marcel and Paddy howled with the wolves. Their voice reverberated throughout the mountains and forests of the park, the animals that were still awake looking out towards the origin of the immense howling.

Finally, they started to go around the Pack Den, eating and socializing amongst themselves; they feasted upon the prey that had been brought for the event. Humphrey was flattered that the pack had banded together to give him a great birthday party. He was nothing more than an ordinary Omega, yet Kate's influence managed to flip the equation and make him feel like the greatest of Alphas. To say the least, this party was not something that would ever generally happen. Paddy and Marcel argued over what song to play on the human object when Garth stepped in and tapped the thing, ending their arguments. Another song began to play, one with a different tune that mesmerized Humphrey just as much as the last.

**Screaming on the inside**

**I am frail and withered**

**Cover up the wounds**

**That I can't hide**

**Walls that lie between us**

**The saint within the sinner**

**I have lost the nerve**

**But it's all right**

**Carry the wounded and shut your eyes**

**All will be forgiven**

**None will rise**

**Bury the fallen and lead the blind**

**I will fight the loss**

**Dead inside!**

**Into the nothing!**

**Faded and weary!**

**I won't leave and let you fall behind!**

**Live for the dying!**

**Heaven hear me!**

**I know we can make it out alive!**

**Leave me at the bottom**

**I am lost forever**

**Letters from the dead**

**Say goodbye**

**Sorrow falls upon us**

**This will be the last time**

**Days begin to end**

**But I'll get by**

**Follow the hopeless**

**And shut your eyes**

**All will be abandoned**

**None will shine**

**Gather the broken and leave this life**

**Lying in the earth**

**Side by side**

**Into the nothing!**

**Faded and weary!**

**I won't leave and let you fall behind!**

**Live for the dying!**

**Heaven hear me!**

**I know we can make it out alive!**

**I'll keep you inside!**

**Where I lead you cannot follow…**

**Straight into the light!**

**As my breath grows still and shallow…**

**Into the nothing…**

**Faded and weary…**

**I won't leave and let you fall behind!**

**Live for the dying!**

**Heaven hear me!**

**I know we can make it out alive!**

**Stay with me,**

**You're all I have left,**

**I know we can make it out alive!**

**Stay with me,**

**You're all I have left,**

**I know we can make it out alive!**

Winston howled for a cease of the music and activities and the wolves gathered around the base of the Leader Rock. Winston and Kate sat upon the rock. Winston smiled and gestured to Humphrey, beckoning him upward. He climbed up to sit between them. Kate smiled at him and Winston stood up.

"Humphrey is not originally from our pack, but we took him in as one of our own when he was found in the forest. He's always been a great wolf and the peacekeeper of the pack. Despite his rank of Omega, the things he's accomplished astound me. Only a few hours ago I witnessed him take down a male caribou single-pawed."

There were shocked whispers amongst the wolves when they heard this, then a chorus of congratulatory cheers from the crowd. Humphrey flattened his ears and smiled sheepishly, Kate laughing at his expression. Winston silenced the crowd and continued.

"When he and my daughter, Kate, were wolfnapped by humans, he managed to help get the both of them home safely. Of course, they also had some help from two friends of ours," he winked at Marcel and Paddy. Paddy straightened his posture with pride, Marcel smiling and nodding at Kate and Humphrey. Winston continued. "It was an immense shock to hear that Humphrey and Kate were in love, but I can't think of any wolf better suited to be with my eldest daughter.

"Humphrey is more than any ordinary Omega; he is a fun-loving wolf, the lover of my daughter, and a wolf that I quickly befriended. As his third year of life begins, I am eager to see him become a greater wolf in this pack. Although my own mate may not be too eager for the day to come, I can't wait to see the great family that I'm positive Humphrey and Kate will share." There was some laughter from the crowd at this statement. Kate and Humphrey were both embarrassed by the statement. "Humphrey, I'm far happier to see you with Kate than you can ever possibly imagine, and I'm proud to call you my son."

The pack began to cheer as he concluded his speech. A happy tear ran down Kate's face as she embraced Humphrey. Humphrey smiled and sincerely thanked Winston. He was just as proud to be part of the family as Winston was to accept him into it. The rest of the party was a bit slower and as twilight passed, the wolves began to retreat to their dens, wishing Humphrey a happy birthday. Kate whispered to her father. He smiled and nodded to her and Kate leapt down to join Humphrey at his side.

"Hey," he greeted.

"Hi," she replied.

"You ready to go back home?"

"Actually," she said, walking towards the forest. "I have something else in mind. It's about your birthday gift." He smiled and followed her into the forest. Winston watched the two depart, smiling. He winked at the two and returned to his with Eve.

Kate led the way through the forest, the moonlight shining through the tree tops. As they walked, Humphrey began to smell something that he'd never smelled before. His senses tingled as he tried to figure out what the scent was. He looked around but found nothing that would make such a scent. It took him a while to realize that whatever it was, it was emitting from Kate. He tilted his head to the side, confused. Still, he followed her through the forest.

She led him into a small, familiar clearing. The years did not seem to alter it at all. He remembered the clearing just as clearly as he remembered the party mere minutes ago. It was the clearing he and Kate met in.

Kate turned and sat in front of him, staring at him with a sharp intensity. He sat down and returned the stare smiling. Kate however, wasn't smiling; she seemed fixated upon Humphrey in a strange way, and there was a look in her eyes that was foreign to him. After a while of silence, Humphrey stopped smiling and looked around. The awkward silence ensuing was making him uncomfortable and he did not know what to do at this point.

"Ah, so…" He began. She blinked and shook her head vigorously.

"Sorry," she said. She took a breath and began to circle Humphrey, her tail brushing along his fur. Her tail traced itself underneath his chin and she looked at him with lazy eyes. "So, do you want to know what your birthday present is?"

"Well, you didn't have to get me anything, really," Humphrey said modestly. "But sure, go ahead!"

"Well, I have to tell you about this gift before you can get it," she said. He nodded in understanding as she continued to circle him. "The first thing about your gift is that it has to be made, and the way it's made is amazing. The second thing about this gift is that it loves you very, very much." He thought hard, trying to figure out what it was but came to no definitive conclusions.

"The third thing about this gift," she said, standing in front of him. "Is that you see this gift every day, and will continue to see this gift and the products of this gift for the rest of your life." He thought for a while when suddenly it hit him. His gift wasn't any object that Kate could simply give him. It wasn't a solid object that any wolf could give him. Humphrey realized in that moment that his gift was Kate herself. His eyes widened and he hesitated.

"What's wrong, Humph?" Kate asked with a seductive smile. Humphrey now understood fully what the scent emitting from Kate was, and he fully understood that the look in her eyes was the look of lust. "You don't look too good."

"Kate, are you sure about this?" Humphrey asked nervously. She rubbed her head underneath his, licking behind his ear. She looked deep into his eyes.

"You know I am, Humphrey," she said. Humphrey smiled as she grinded herself against him. He stood up and looked at her, returning the grinding movements against her. She laid herself on the ground and turned over on her back. He nuzzled her neck fur, smiling. She smiled as he began to lick her face and neck. He ran his tongue along her cur, slowly working his way down. He licked her chest fur, eliciting a seductive purr from Kate. He smiled and continued down until he reached between her hind legs where the source of the sweet scent was coming from.

The blood in his face ran hot, heat radiating from her. He licked her she-wolfhood, making her moan with ecstasy. She smiled and her claws sheathed and unsheathed as he began to lick faster and more viciously. He slid his tongue lightly inside of her, momentarily surprised that, despite her not being in heat, he was able to so easily enact the foreplay. After a while, her moaning reached a mini-climax and her body convulsed, spraying his muzzle. He smiled and licked the liquids from his face. She grinned and crawled upward, flipping him onto his back.

Where Humphrey was tender and slow with her, hoping that she was pleasured in a good way, Kate quickly licked Humphrey, nibbling on his ears and viciously nuzzling him. She lowered down to his wolfhood and immediately began licking. Having never experienced anything like the amazing feeling that Kate was giving to him, he breathed heavily in pleasure. She even began to lightly suck on his wolfhood, quickly eliciting cum to flow into her mouth.

She smiled, rising up and licking her lips. Humphrey began to climb upward as she presented herself to him, moving her tail slightly to allow him room to begin mating with her. Despite mating was not the basis of their relationship (which was one hundred percent true to him as it was to Kate) he came to realize exactly why some relationships were based around it. The mere feeling of foreplay was enough for him to be eager to do it again, and they hadn't even gotten to fully mating yet. Kate looked at him seductively and Humphrey moved towards her.

**Winston and Eve**

"I wish that you had been there tonight," Winston said. Eve grumpily sat in the back of the cave as Winston stretched his sore limbs. He was disappointed that she refused to come to his speech for Humphrey. "Humphrey was happy; it would have been nice if you'd said something for him, too."

"It would have been nice," she agreed. "But I'm not very nice."

"He's a good wolf," Winston sighed, exasperated. "Why can't you accept that our daughter is happy with him and that he's part of our family?"

"I'm not talking about this right now," she said, getting up and walking to the mouth of the den.

"Where are you going?" Winston asked.

"For a walk; I need some fresh air," she replied dully. "You can come along if you want." There wasn't a chance that he wouldn't. He knew exactly what Kate had planned for Humphrey's birthday, and the last thing he wanted was for Eve to kill Humphrey over it.

Unfortunately, they rounded a bend to a clearing where, to their horror, they found Humphrey mating with their daughter.

Winston was shocked that they had seen what had transpired, Eve even more shocked. For the first time, she was not only speechless, but motionless as well. This gave Winston the chance he needed. Immediately, Winston grabbed a stick on the ground and swiftly whacked her on the head with it, knocking her out cold. Winston smiled at the two lovers in the clearing fell asleep together.

"You owe me big time, Humphrey," Winston said with a smile. Then, he looked at Eve. Despite his love for her, he had to admit that she was a particularly heavy she-wolf. Now that she was unconscious, he would have to drag her back. He groaned. "Perfect."

**A/N: ****The two songs used in this chapter are "Break by Three Days Grace" and "Into the Nothing by Breaking Benjamin." Thanks to Alexander and imjustlikehumphrey for reviewing the last two chapters! I hope that you guys are enjoying the story thus far and I'm glad to see people reviewing and leaving comments on the story. It really makes me happy to hear that! Until next time!**

**-The Dishonored Wolf**


	9. Hostilities

Humphrey woke to see sunlight in his eyes. He squinted, the blinding rays of sunlight burning his retinas. He turned on his other side to see the sun still in his eyes. Confused, he looked back to see that it wasn't the sun he was originally looking at, but Kate's fur glowing in its radiance. He smiled as he watched the steady rise and fall of her flank. He looked around, surveying their surroundings. At first, he was confused as to why they were in the middle of the forest rather than their den. Then, it all came back to him.

He grinned at the memory of their mating the night prior. He curled up next to Kate once again, laying his head next to hers. It was one of very few instances where he had had the luxury of watching his mate sleep. So often her duties forced her to wake early, leaving Humphrey alone in their den when he woke or watching her leave solemnly as she rose in the early morning. This, however, was not any ordinary morning. Nor was last night any normal night.

It was still the early summer, the spring only passing a few weeks prior. The warm sunlight warmed the two wolves. Humphrey watched as Kate stretcher tired limbs, yawning. She moved and opened her eyes slightly, her beautiful amber eyes staring into the sky blue eyes of Humphrey. He smiled, causing Kate to laugh. She licked his muzzle in greeting.

"Hey, beautiful," he said.

"Hey, handsome," she replied with a smile. Their fur was messy and unkempt from the events of the night before, the musky smell still lingering in the air. They didn't care at all. They looked into the other's eyes, their love and adoration for the other shared by the looks in their eyes. After a while, the two dragged themselves up off of the ground and walked side by side to the river to wash up.

The water was cold, the icy feeling shocking them awake. This time, they did not play in the river, their exhaustion evident in their sluggish movements. They groomed themselves, washing the traces of their mating from them. Now, the place they met had a whole new, very special and important meaning to both of them. They dried themselves up and, once they were finished with their grooming, walked happily back to the Pack Den, hoping for something to eat. They walked past Salty's den, noticing Sweets sleeping beside him.

The two smiled at the new happy couple and continued walking forward. The majority of the wolves were still asleep after the energetic party, meaning that they hadn't missed out on much of anything as of yet. They saw a plump badger that was left untouched from the party and decided to share the animal as breakfast. Humphrey was ravenous, devouring his half share of the badger in minutes. Kate, however, wasn't acting the same. She was taking smaller bites, chewing it slowly and seemed as though she was having difficulty swallowing the meat and organs. She looked repulsively at the meat and after a while, she pushed it over to Humphrey with her nose. He looked at her with concern.

It wasn't like Kate to turn down a meal. She laid her head in her paws, closing her eyes in tiredness. He was tempted to eat the badger, but it was important that Kate ate as well. He looked at her, noticing her nose was bone dry, heat radiating from her forehead. She had a fever. Humphrey was definitely worried now. He placed his paw on her forehead to confirm, receiving a burning feel on his pad. He nosed Kate's face gently. Her eyes fluttered open for a moment before closing again. Humphrey nosed her, her eyes lazily opening again. She stared at him, red tendrils etched on the edges of her eyes.

"Kate, are you okay?" Humphrey asked her. She closed her eyes and stretched, arching her back. She yawned, displaying her fangs. She looked weak, her legs barely supporting her. Humphrey stood next to her, offering support to her. She waved him off. He warily walked back, looking at her. She seemed smaller and frailer than he'd ever seen her before. Humphrey's concern peaked as he saw her like this. He repeated his question, receiving a tired blink from her.

"Yeah, yeah I'm fine," she replied. Her voice was weak, cracking a bit. Humphrey never took her to lie to him. She gave a weak smile and looked at him. "Really, I am; I'm just tired from last night."

"Should we go back to our den?" He asked. "If you're tired you should really get some rest. Even big, strong, responsible Alphas need to get their rest!" He finished with his trademark smile. She returned the smile and nuzzled him.

"And even funny, loving, amazing Omegas need to stop worrying about their mates," she countered with a laugh.

"Kate!" Someone called. Candu, Hutch, Garth, and two other Alphas, Claw and Scar were standing at the fringes of the Pack Den. Hutch approached her and Humphrey, an angry expression on his face. Humphrey was surprised to see him angry. Then again, he was also surprised to have heard the things Kate had said last night.

"What are you doing here?" He demanded. The forcefulness in his speech startled Humphrey.

"Sorry, Hutch," she apologized. "I lost track of time and I-"

"Sorry doesn't cut it, Kate!" He snarled. Humphrey's gaze hardened; no one was going to talk to his mate that way! "The hunting patrols start at dawn! In case you haven't noticed, it's well past dawn! We tried to hunt on our own, but Claw and Scar can hardly hunt worth caribou shit and we wasted two hours only to get nothing! Now come on; we're leaving to get our pack some food."

"Don't talk to her like that, Hutch," Humphrey growled. He didn't know what had gotten into him; he'd never known Hutch to be so aggressive and mean, especially to Kate. Hutch turned and glared at Humphrey.

"Just because your birthday was yesterday doesn't mean I'm not ready to exact the Law of the Ancient Packs on you, Omega!" He spat the title 'Omega' like it was poison. Now he understood the source of Hutch's ferocity. The amendments to the New Pack Laws included the punishment and behavior of the Ancient Packs. Humphrey understood Hutch was trying to follow his new orders, but this was uncalled for and simply ridiculous of Hutch to say.

"Just because you can't hunt doesn't mean that you can talk to her like that!" Humphrey snarled back. Hutch lashed out at Humphrey, raking his claws down his muzzle. Humphrey growled in pain and slammed into Hutch, knocking him to the ground. The other three wolves rushed at him, knocking him back.

Hutch leapt at Humphrey and bit into his scruff, shaking his head with ferocious vigor. Kate screamed at Hutch to let go and leapt at him, tearing into his flank with her claws. He kicked her away and Humphrey's vision blurred. Time slowed around him, but movement seemed faster for him. He slammed his head into Hutch's nose, shaking his grip and quickly turned on him. He snarled, leaping at Hutch and tearing viciously into his back. He watched as blood streamed down his fur and Hutch yelped in pain.

Humphrey didn't care about Hutch's pain; he'd treated Kate horrifically for no reason and hit her. Those reasons alone should have earned Humphrey the justification to lash out. He felt a heavy weight pin him down and saw Garth and Lily attack Hutch, slamming him to the ground. Winston and Eve rushed into the clearing, wolves peering from their dens as they watched the fight come to a close. Eve attended Kate, helping her up. Winston looked at Humphrey and Hutch, shocked at their appalling behavior.

Lily's violet eyes flicked between the two. For the first time, Humphrey could see fury and authority in her eyes, probably due to her trying to be a better suited leader of the New Pack. Garth growled menacingly at Hutch when he struggled. Lily looked at them and growled.

"Come to our den at once!" She commanded. Garth let Hutch up, the wolf on Humphrey letting him up. He turned to see that it was Tony. He nodded at Humphrey, his eyes bearing sympathy. Humphrey began to walk towards Kate when he heard Lily's commanding bark. Kate nodded to Humphrey and he turned to follow Lily. Winston and Eve joined, Tony attending to Kate.

Lily and Garth sat at the back, just beyond a light that penetrated the roof of the den. Winston sat and Eve sat to the side, Candu, Claw, and Scar sitting to the other side. Humphrey and Hutch sat at the other end of the light directly across from their Leader Wolves. Lily glared at the two of them.

"Now, I'm going to ask you both to kindly explain why the two of you were fighting, and I expect honest answers from the both of you," she growled. "Hutch, you begin." Hutch began to step forward, Garth growling at him. He stepped back and glared at Humphrey before proceeding into explaining what happened. He said that Kate had 'prematurely' refused to attend their daily hunting party at dawn, thereby compromising the hunt.

Every word that slithered out of the snake-like wolf's mouth made Humphrey cringe. Hate burned in Humphrey's heart, searing every fiber of his being. He flexed his claws, scratching the stone underneath them lightly in anger. He seethed; Hutch did explain everything accurately, though he left out key components such as his kicking Kate and as to why Humphrey was attacking him in the first place. Lily's eyes narrowed at Hutch as she turned her gaze to Humphrey.

"And what have you to say, Humphrey?" She asked. Her voice still bore the sweet indication of the former Omega that he knew in her when she talked to him. He knew that he could still trust Lily and Garth. He looked up at them, shooting a glare at Hutch.

"Nothing," Humphrey grumbled. "Hutch said it all. I won't deny anything." She considered his response for a moment, studying the two wolves. They sat in an uncomfortable silence for a while. Lily, Garth, Candu, and Winston huddled together, Eve keeping watch over the rest of the wolves. They whispered too quietly for Humphrey to pick up their voices. Of course, the blood roaring in his ears was easily something that could be taken into account against his sense of hearing. They talked for a while more before returning to their positions.

"The new laws are meant to keep wolves in their place," Garth said, looking at the two. "They are not meant to start feuds between ourselves. As you both seemed to have caused enough physical pain to one another, we'll let you off with a warning. If we see either one of you acting up again, we won't hesitate to use lethal force against you. _Don't_ make us have to come to that."

"Hutch, you'll take Candu, Scar, Claw, and Kate on a hunting patrol and get some food for everyone," Lily reinforced. "When you get back, I want you to patrol the border yourself and renew the scent markings."

"What?" Hutch scoffed, incredulous to Lily's punishment. "That could take all day for me to do single-pawed! No wolf has ever patrolled the entire border, much less without a patrol!"

"Exactly," Lily confirmed. "It will take all day. If you sit here arguing any longer, however, you'll be working well into the night and you'll miss dinner. After all, you're behavior has ensured that you won't have the privilege of breakfast today." Hutch looked as though he was about to argue further, but then he thought better of it and grumbled hotly. Lily turned to Humphrey. "Humphrey, you are not allowed to eat until tonight. You will be put in your den for the day and you may not have contact with any other wolf save for Garth who will be stationed outside of your den, and you may only talk to him when asking to get a drink or if you have to go scat. Is that understood?"

Humphrey bowed his head in confirmation. The wolves looked at the two of them in anger and then dismissed them to their designated punishment areas. Candu, Scar, and Claw led Hutch outside, Garth leading Humphrey back to his den. Humphrey's head and tail drooped; he'd never been in trouble with any of the wolves before. He didn't like the feeling at all. Kate spotted him and ran up to him; it seemed that the fatigue she was experiencing earlier had vanished when she saw him.

"Humphrey!" She yelled, pressing her face into his flank. She saw blood on his shoulders where Hutch's fangs had torn into the flesh of his scruff. She gasped and licked his wounds, Humphrey's hardened gaze softening when he saw her try to attend to him. She looked at him with glassy eyes. "What happened?" Humphrey looked down and walked away.

"Sorry, Kate," he mumbled. "I'm not authorized to talk to you or anyone else today." He padded solemnly back to his den. Kate called back to him, Garth halting her and talking to her. He could hear her arguing with him. Finally, however, he managed to make her see reason and she nodded. She gave a final, hesitating look back at her mate before walking back to Hutch's hunting party. She shot a glare at Hutch when she arrived and the party set off into the forest.

Garth ran up to Humphrey. He was surprised to see that Humphrey hadn't tried to run off or disobey Lily's orders like so many wolves in the past had done in both the Eastern and Western territories had done. Eve ran up to join them.

"Garth, please go to Humphrey's den and wait for us there," she said. "I need to talk to Humphrey privately." Garth nodded and ran off in the direction of his den. Eve led the way to the grass plains. She sat down, watching Humphrey intently. His head was lowered in shame, his ears flattened to his head.

"I know what you and Kate did last night, Humphrey," she said. Humphrey's eyes widened in shock and his pulse began to quicken in panic. She laughed in amusement from his reaction. "Don't worry, Humphrey, I won't hurt you. However, I know why you'd think I would. Had recent events not transpired, I would have torn your paws off and ate them for a delightful snack." He gulped.

"I-I don't understand, ma'am," he said.

"I wouldn't expect you to. Humphrey, I didn't want my daughter to marry an Omega. Nor did I want Lily to marry an Alpha. However, Garth has proven to be a dedicated and caring mate for her and a very compatible companion to her. I was nervous of you, though. I thought for quite a while now that your infatuation with Kate was based solely upon her physical appearance. However, after seeing what happened this morning proved to me that there is far more to you than I previously thought.

"I heard and saw everything that went on, and when I saw you defending Kate's rights in the way you did, I was proud. Not only of you for standing up to a superior in the act of justice, but of my daughter for choosing the right mate. I am very pleased to see that you are just as dedicated, caring, and loving of Kate as Garth is to Lily. Horrific as it was to see my daughter in the act of mating, I can tell that her choice was justified in mating with you. I can tell that the both of you are going to live up to something grand, Humphrey; I am a very proud she-wolf and mother to see you and Kate together. I would have preferred that you waited for Kate to reach her third birthday before you two decided to mate, but nevertheless, I can see that you weren't entirely zombified and scent-driven as other wolves would have been. Am I correct in this assumption?"

"You are, ma'am," Humphrey replied with confidence. "I love your daughter more than life itself. I don't care who it is; if any wolf or other animal threatens or endangers her, I'll swear that I will protect her with my life. She means everything to me, ma'am."

"I'm glad to hear that," she said with a smile. "You are not like many wolves, Humphrey; you're definitely unique in your own way. Perhaps now I can finally see what Kate finds so great about you. She talks highly of you every day. Hell, she won't shut up about you half of the time. Her love and adoration for you is unmatched by many wolves I've seen in the past, and to see that you feel the same for her as she does for you is heartwarming for a mother. Winston and I only have a couple years left on our lives, and I expect that you'll be a caring mate and father for her and you're the family I'm sure you two will raise in your future. Now, off to your den. I'm not a Leader She-Wolf anymore, and I'm sure that this is somehow breaking Lily's punishment for you. You're dismissed, son."

"Thank you, Mom," he said with a smile. He ran back to his den to see the red-furred figure of Garth sitting by the entrance of his den just as he was instructed to do. Humphrey clambered up to the top, nodding to Garth. He nodded back as Humphrey curled up in a ball in the back of his den.

"You know, Humphrey," Garth said. "If I was you, I'd have done the same thing. You have nothing to be ashamed of. Lily knows it, too; the only reason we had to give you this punishment was to stop Hutch from complaining. Sorry that it has to work out that way, brother." Humphrey thanked him. He smiled as he closed his eyes. Despite his punishment, he finally gained the trust and approval of Eve. Garth and Lily even considered them into their family. For the first time in Humphrey's life, he was finally accepted and part of what he'd yearned for; it was the one thing that he'd sought for so long, and now had and was part of: a family.

**A/N: Well, there you have it, everyone! Thanks to imjustlikehumphrey, FunLovingKate, Alexander, (Guest), and NathanAnderson839037 for leaving reviews on my last chapter! Thanks for all of the support, it's awesome that you're all checking out my story and liking it thus far! That really keeps me going! The one thing that I found difficult when writing Call of Duty Fan Fiction stories was that I would only get a review around once every ten or so chapters if I was lucky (so yeah, definitely not accustomed to all of these reviews!) and to see so many people reading this and enjoying it really encourages me to keep writing!**

**Well, Hutch…way to be a dick! Looks like Humphrey's finally got a family and Eve is cool with his mating with Kate, so he won't get his paws torn of any time soon! As to the sexual content in the last chapter, something that people on this side of the site call 'lemons' for some odd reason, that will be the only chapter with any sexual content in it. There may be sexual innuendos, but in terms of actual visualization sex-content, that will be the only time I'll do that on this side of the site on this story or others that I plan on making in the future.**

**Speaking of which, I've been storyboarding quite a bit and you can expect this story to become a trilogy! Yes, everyone; there will be sequels when this story is finished and I'm sure that the guys and girls out there that have been following my story will find the stories after this to be great subjects of reading material! However, this story is nowhere NEAR being finished yet. We haven't quite met the middle of the story yet, and as chapters begin to grow in length, updates will become less frequent (sorry, being in my third year of High School, I've got a lot to do in my life so unfortunately I can't update every day like I'd enjoy to). By the way, several times in this chapter and others, my computer was spell-checking my work because after talking to so many people in other countries over Xbox LIVE, I've started to adopt their sayings and spelling. Is that weird? Well, until next time!**

**-The Dishonored Wolf**


	10. Kate's Epidemic

Kate's head was spinning. Her vision blurred, sounds began to sound muffled and alien to her. Colors were distorted, dizziness and nausea ailed her. Her paws felt like they were replaced with massive boulders, her legs shaking like leaves in forceful winds. Her stomach was like a deep pit, her throat tightening, a sickly taste filling her mouth. Her sense of smell was off, becoming incredibly weak and nearly useless to her.

She walked clumsily, trying to feel her way around the grass plains. She shook her head vigorously, trying to regain some of her senses. This was met with some success, though not enough to say that she was fully capable. She felt incapacitated, claustrophobia beginning to affect her as her depth perception became spotty. Everything felt like it was closing in on her, crushing her and her companions.

Lights and darks became more prominent, further distorting what sane vision she had yet retained. She began mumbling under her breath, her body heat peaking. She began to sweat underneath her fur coat, panting heavily as she followed several wolf lengths behind the rest of the hunting party.

Claw and Scar paid her no mind, talking quietly. Hutch was too self-absorbed in his own wallowing and fury to care if she was fine or not. Candu gave nervous glances towards her, asking her several times if she was okay. She nodded gloomily. Her tongue felt dry and swollen, her throat too parched to make any audible words come out. He still looked back at her in worry, but nodded as they continued forward to find prey for the pack to feed on when they returned.

Blurry, brown shapes moved up ahead. Kate's current mental state could at least figure out that they were a form of prey, and she forced herself into a hunting position. When she did so, she collapsed in exhaustion and fatigue. Claw and Scar snickered to her right, Hutch growling at her to get back up. She groaned and pushed herself to her feet, stumbling a bit before actually coming to. Why was everything so hot? Weren't the other wolves feeling this heat?

The day was relatively windless; there was no breeze to alert their prey to their presence. They stalked forward, keeping low to the ground. Kate, in particular, was practically dragging herself. It took her an increasing effort to stay on her paws. Hutch signaled for them to stop, but Kate missed the signal, her dulled mind not paying attention to the slight tail-flick. She continued on, tripping over a root jutting from the ground. It alerted a caribou standing nearby. It leapt away towards the rest of the herd, grazing peacefully by its family and mates. Hutch growled in anger, shooting her a furious look.

She sank her claws into the ground to keep her world from spinning around her, the landscape enclosing and expanding before her eyes rapidly, crushing her and then leaving her in a vast, empty plain. She shook her head, grinding her teeth together in frustration. Candu nudged her, giving her a concerned look. She shook her head, looking up in determination and renewed confidence. She found herself become more stable, her body becoming slightly less sickly. They sought another piece of prey, finding an old doe with a limp. Kate slunk forward, her chest fur barely brushing the ground. The others were in position, ready to run the caribou.

She flicked her ear at Candu, her eyes meeting Hutch's. She made a signal with her tail and ears. He nodded in understanding. Candu relayed the message to Claw and Scar. They were directed to run the caribou into Kate who would attack from the front. They leapt forward, chasing at the doe and barking viciously. It panicked and fled. Kate jogged into the path they would lead it to. She saw them turn it back, watched as the doe ran towards her. Candu and Hutch ran forward towards Kate, Claw and Scar still hounding it forward.

Suddenly, Kate felt sick again, her world becoming strange and closed in. Her depth perception was once again of, making it seem as though the doe was directly in front of her. She leapt forward, her claws extended. She was met with empty air, slamming into the ground heavily. She groaned and saw the doe bearing down upon her. Candu slammed into her, knocking her out of the way. The doe escaped, retreating to the safe confines of the heard. The caribou were now fully aware of their presence and intent, huddling closer together, the males beginning to take positions on the outer edges of the herd, their eyes darting around to make sure that no predator could pick off their mates.

Hutch snarled in anger. He stalked over to Kate, looking down on her frail form. Candu sniffed her, catching the tangy scent of sickness around her. Hutch kicked dirt in her face. She was too weak to recoil and was forced to painfully blink dust out of her eyes. Candu suggested that she return to their den; she'd been in that state for two days and was now beginning to jeopardize the hunt. He didn't say that she was doing so, but she assumed enough to know that she couldn't hunt. She hung her head low, her tail drooping.

She padded slowly back to the den she shared with Humphrey. Although Lily instructed them not to, Humphrey and Garth conversed throughout his entire day of punishment. Kate found this immensely amusing, especially considering that Garth had gone against the direct orders of not only his leading counterpart, but his mate. Two days had passed since Humphrey and Hutch found, Kate's sickness only getting worse.

Several times she had woke in the middle of the night to rush outside and retch, Humphrey trying his best to comfort her. Although he tried to argue against it, she made Humphrey reside on the opposite side of the den so he wouldn't catch her sickness. He reluctantly consented and did as she told, though she could feel his blue eyes staring into her at night.

Kate had hardly eaten a single scrap of food since the fight, her ribs beginning to show underneath her gaunt form. Her fur began to lose its lavish beauty and hand limply, the hue dulling as she went on. Humphrey's growing concern for her eventually led to his seeking Eve's aid. Eve attended to Kate, asking her questions as to her ailments, food she'd eaten, activities she'd participated in, and exposure to plants and animals in and around the territory. Eve seemed to have several conclusions that she refused to share with her, Kate's distress becoming more and more evident.

Kate insisted that she continue her Alpha duties, wanting desperately to keep contributing to the pack. Humphrey tried to make her see reason and have her rest, but she persisted and continued with her duties nevertheless. Now that it was clearly evident that she was simply slowing the pack down, she was more apt to taking Humphrey's advice and resting more.

She lapped water from the river on her way back home, hoping to cool herself down. She felt slightly refreshed by cool water, but still found herself to feel sick to her stomach. She waded through the shallow water to the other end of the river, not bothering to shake the water from her pelt. The water dripped from her fur to the ground below, mud tracking on her paws. She panted in exhaustion as she walked back, hoping to reach their den sooner rather than later.

Every step felt like a small eternity. On any normal day for her, she could easily return home from the river in minutes, but it seemed as though every second was an hour, ever hour a day. The sun bore down on her with relentless heat, her beading sweat mingling with the river water. Her eyes watered, her eye lids feeling heavy. It became difficult for her to keep her eyes open at all, and soon enough, she was stumbling around in confusion as she searched for her den.

She heard the welcoming howl of Humphrey, her eyes finally catching sight on the grey wolf standing upon the rocks outside of their den. She gave a weak, tired smile and clumsily jogged forward. He met her halfway, his head cocked slightly and his eyes bearing confusion and worry. He said something to her, but she couldn't hear. She jogged past him, he tongue lolling out of her mouth as the heat beat her down. Her tongue dried and cracked quickly, her breath coming out in short coughing gasps.

She climbed into their den, relishing in the dark coolness of their home. She slumped along the wall, absorbing the cold from the rock into her body. She quickly began to shiver in extreme cold, her body shaking violently as the cold rock froze her to the core. Humphrey's voice raised and she began to hear fluent words stream from his mouth, but couldn't make much sense of them. To her, it seemed like he was talking in a jumbled mess of random words.

"Hey, Humphreyyyy," she said, her voice slurred and tired. She turned lazily to see his concerned expression. "You gotta stop worr'n bout mehhh. Imma big ssh-shh-she-wolfssss, ands I likes to be treated likes I am zat, you hear?"

"Kate, are you okay?" Humphrey questioned. He'd never seen her so out of it in her life. She seemed as though she didn't even know what she was talking about anymore. Her grip on sanity seemed to have abandoned her completely.

"You, betsss, Humphy Humpher Humph!" She exclaimed before collapsing on the cold stone. He nudged her, trying to see if she was still awake. She was out cold. He pressed his paw to her neck, discovering her pulse to be very low and faint. Frantic, Humphrey darted from his den, racing towards the Pack Den.

Eve was the best at situations like this and could help out. Humphrey's worry had peaked and he cursed himself for not pushing further for her to stay away from her Alpha duties. She was beginning to lose it and he was worried that she might become injured or even more sick if she didn't get the rest and health attention that she so required.

He burst into Winston and Eve's den, seeing the two conversing with two other wolves. He impatiently waited for their conversation to end, his claws tapping on the stone ground with paranoia. When they began to argue with the wolves, Humphrey seethed and began pacing angrily around the entrance of their den. Finally, the wolves gave their regards to Winston and Eve and left, allowing Humphrey the time he needed to talk to them.

"Something wrong, Humphrey?" Winston asked curiously.

"It's Kate," he exclaimed. "There's something really wrong." Eve leapt to her paws and immediately rushed to the back of the den, grabbing the necessary herbs she needed and rushed towards him.

"Quickly," she said. "Get some moss and water and bring it to your den. I'll meet you there." He nodded and bolted out of the den and into the forest. It didn't take him long to find a considerably large patch of moss growing along the bark of a tree. He used his claws to tear off a large chunk and picked it up, racing to the river. He dunked the moss into the water, soaking it in the running water.

When he was content with the amount of water he'd acquired, he turned tail and ran back to their den. He found Eve and Winston over their daughter. Winston sat cautiously nearby, Eve tending to Kate.

She pressed her paws on different parts of her body. Humphrey placed the moss near her herbs. Eve thanked him and placed it underneath Kate's head. Kate groaned and her eyes opened slightly. Humphrey and Winston breathed sighs of relief when they saw her doing fine. Eve fed Kate several different herbs, having her lap water from the soaked moss. Winston and Humphrey walked outside, sitting out of the den.

"Humphrey," Winston spoke. Humphrey looked at him. "Kate's never been like this. Do you know what's going on?" Humphrey shook his head.

"I wish I did," he said, angry that he couldn't help her. "I just don't know how to help her."

"Luckily, Eve seems to know exactly that," Winston sighed. "Look, Humphrey; there's only three reasons that she would be this sick. You know them, don't you?"

"Yes, sir," he replied.

"Humphrey, you're going to be faced with many decisions in the future. Not all of them will be easy, but you have to trust in yourself that you'll make the right decision. You're not an Omega any more. You're a grown wolf and the mate of my daughter. Whatever the decision is, you must protect Kate with your life. Do you understand?"

"Fully, sir," he replied, looking seriously into Winston's eyes. "She's my everything. I'm not going to let anything happen to her."

"If anything happens to her, to me, Eve, Lily, Garth, or any other wolf in the pack, I need you to make the ultimatum. You have to make the choices that will decide what happens in the future. You walk a difficult path, Humphrey. Every wolf does, but with your responsibilities now tied to the whole of the pack as much as it is to those you care for, you have to make decisions that won't always be easy. When you have to, I hope that you'll make the right choice."

"I will, father," Humphrey replied. He wouldn't let anything happen to Kate. Never. "I won't let anything happen to her or anyone else. I swear, I won't let anything happen. I understand my responsibilities and where my duties lie." _I won't let anything happen to you, Kate,_ he thought._ I'll never let anything happen to you. Never._

**A/N: There you have it, everyone! A short chapter, I know, but it portrays foreshadowing of future events and what lengths Humphrey will go to protect those he loves and cares about. He's definitely going to have to make tough decisions as a part of a family off Leader Wolves as well as being a friend and lover to Kate and others. The next chapter will be the end of the first Act of this story. The first act is really an introduction to the story and setting, and it will set the stage for the next two Acts of the story. Thanks to imjustlikehumphrey for reviewing! Until next time!**

**-The Dishonored Wolf**


	11. The Mad Wolf

Kate was groggy, her mind muddled and jumbled. Everything was dark, though she felt her eyes open. She blinked a few times to reassure herself of that assumption. She felt her eye lids, so she was positive that her eyes were open. It just didn't make sense; how could her eyes be open, yet not see anything. It wasn't as though the excuse of it being late would be quite legitimate. The eyesight of wolves was incredibly keen in the dark just as it was in the light.

After a while, everything began to brighten. She began to make out shapes, shades, and textures. The pale light of dawn streamed into the cave and she realized that she was inside of the cave she shared with Humphrey. She turned her head, trying to find Humphrey. She was alone in the cave. She was surprised, having very rarely seen him out early unless he was with her.

She felt a pang of loneliness at the thought of him not being by her side in the morning. She stretched her tired limbs, looking around the cave. She was about to get up, but she remembered what Humphrey said to her about resting. After the turnout of the past two days, she felt as though trying to get up and repeat the sickness again wouldn't do her any good.

She heard someone coming and she smiled, lying down. Expecting it was Humphrey, she pretended she was sleeping. However, there was something off. There was the noise of leaves and other plants behind her. She assumed that Humphrey had brought her materials to help her feel better; her heart fluttering from the thought that he'd be sweet enough to do that for her.

Then, she heard him start to hum to himself, his voice sounding oddly feminine. Kate was now incredibly confused; since when did Humphrey hum to himself, and since when did he sound as though he was female? When he started singing in the voice of her mother, she turned over to figure out what in the world was going on. It wasn't Humphrey, however, but her mother. _Well,_ she thought. _That makes a lot more sense. _

She groaned and lied on her belly, stretching her limbs. Eve saw her daughter and smiled. She walked up to her and pushed a few herbs towards her as well as a wet patch of moss. Kate ate the tangy herbs, the revolting scent and taste disgusting her thoroughly. She resisted the urge to spit the herbs out in disgust. Her face clearly showed her distaste for the herbs, but she choked them down despite her dislike for it. She lapped up the water from the moss, washing away the taste.

"How are you feeling, Kate?" Eve asked.

"Better," she replied sullenly. "I'm still not feeling too good though."

"Well," she replied, sorting herbs and smashing some together. "You seemed to have lucked out in a sense. You're going to be staying in here for another day or two until you feel better."

"Another?" Kate asked, confused.

"You've been unconscious for three days," Eve reported. Kate's eyes widened in shock, eliciting a smile from Eve. "Humphrey's been getting up early and taking on your Alpha duties until you get better. He's definitely contributed to the pack in a big way in your absence. After his duties were done, he'd take food to you, hoping you'd be awake. Otherwise, he'd lie down next to you and hope that you'd wake up. You have quite the dedicated mate."

"Yeah," Kate agreed with a smile. "I do." Eve ground up more herbs and continued pounding on them until they formed into one, singular brown entity. Eve placed the conjoined herb in front of Kate. She sniffed it and recoiled from the repulsive stench it gave off. The smell burned her nostrils and stung her eyes. Kate eyed the herb nervously as though it was a dangerous animal.

"Ah, Mom?" Kate asked. "What's this for?"

"It's a test," she replied. "Depending on how your body reacts to it, I'll be able to pinpoint the source of your sickness and better assess the situation." Kate's fur stood on end whenever she looked at it. A fly landed flew through the disgusting aroma and dropped dead, landing on the herb. Kate gaped in horror at the sight. Eve, however, smiled. "Oh, how delightful! Now you have some meat to go along with it! That should make it far more bearable!"

"Wait, you meant that you've had this thing before?" Kate questioned.

"Of course I have!" She replied cheerfully. "It was the most horrible thing I have ever had the incredible misfortune of exposing myself to. Now, go on! Eat up!" Kate looked at the herb and groaned.

"Is this all I have to eat?" She asked.

"Oh, heavens no!" Eve replied. "This is only the beginning of the tests!"

"Great," Kate muttered, parting her jaws to take the herb in her mouth. The aroma filled her mouth, stinging her taste buds and sending a chill down her spine. _This is going to be a long day,_ Kate thought.

**Humphrey**

_This is going to be a long day,_ Humphrey thought. He had already been on the dawn patrol of the border and the morning hunt, his bones aching and tiredness sinking in. The worst part about it all was the fact that it was still several hours before noon. Lily ordered Humphrey to help Candu and several other wolves to renew the scent borders and perform a clean sweep of the territory, making sure that no other wolves, coyotes, or bears had curiously or maliciously crossed into their territory.

The last thing the pack needed was any form of competition from other predators, nor did they need anyone to get seriously injured or killed from a family of coyotes or a rogue bear. Humphrey sent two former Eastern wolves to patrol the border by the human road, two others towards the hills just before the mountains. Candu and Humphrey joined together to patrol the river by the old Eastern Pack territory.

Despite his accompaniment of Candu and the reassuring fact that no hostile wolves lived in the Eastern territory anymore, Humphrey's loathing originated from that part of the forest. The Eastern territory was known as the Dark Heart of Jasper. The forest was thick with foliage and cramped pines. The undergrowth was near impenetrable, areas of the earth not touched by the barest hint of sunlight in what could very well be centuries. The mile or so of land on either side of the Western and Eastern border was a dead wasteland, old trees giving it an ominous appearance. Still, if anything had wandered into their territory, they had to check it out. A thorough sweep of the land was always necessary.

They trekked through the forest, noticing that the light had grown considerably dimmer as they neared the old border. Humphrey's eyes darted around, trying to make out shapes in the darkness. Despite their eyesight, the thick foliage did little to assist in their overall vision of the area around them. They heard a noise ahead, just behind the thicket where the river ran. It was the sound of something eating. They heard the creature sloppily eat into whatever animal it had torn into, low growls coming from that direction.

They sank low to the ground and slowly made their way to the clearing. They peered out to see a dark brown, mangy wolf tearing into the body of a dead animal. Blood and gore covered the ground, strewn about the area as though the wolf had no regard or care as to where its feast lay. They moved to the side to get a better look at its prey. The wolf was eating faced towards the river. They could see the tail of its prey, so they moved to the right to see its face. By its body structure, Humphrey assumed it might be a fox, especially by the length of its tail.

However, the corpse was too large to fit the description of a fox, and its fur was not the red of a fox. Candu was obviously just as bewildered as to its prey as Humphrey was. They finally found a good angle to see what the wolf was feasting on and looked out of the thicket. The two froze in horror, the sight chilling them to the bone. Their blood and bone marrow ran cold, their hearts stopping momentarily.

The wolf was eating another wolf. It tore relentlessly into its neck, tearing out muscle tissue and organs. The worst part was that the wolf 'prey' was still alive. The wolf above him tore into the back of his neck and down over its shoulder. The wolf whimpered and gasped in agony. Candu and Humphrey were effectively mortified by the sight. The dark brown wolf snarled and flipped the other when it moved. It grabbed the wolf by the scruff and slammed its head onto the stone ground. It coughed up blood, broken teeth falling from its mouth. Still, it lived.

Half of the wolf's face was torn off, blood seeping down its flesh and into what was left of its fur on the other side of its face. It was deformed, puffy wounds leaking puss and black liquids onto the ground. Blood vessels burst in its face whenever it tried to move. The wolf tore into its stomach, spilling its intestines onto the ground. It slurped them, spat them out, and then tore into them. It played with them until bloody chunks landed in its fur.

Then, it moved to the wolf's face. It tore into its head, ripping out and eye. It rolled across the ground, the wolf playing with it before it grew bored and stepped on it, obliterating the eye underneath its paw. The wolf on the ground no longer breathed, blood its body lying still on the blood stained rock. Candu and Humphrey watched in paralyzed terror as they saw the cannibalism ensue. It wasn't even technically right to call it cannibalism; half of what the wolf put into its mouth it spat out and tore to pieces, as though it was playing with its prey like a young pup would do to a small animal when its nursing ceased. The wolf looked at its deceased quarry, growling at it. It nudged it and leapt away, as though expecting an attack from the dead wolf. The corpse never moved. Growing restless, the wolf batted its prey, scratching its face and snarling at it. Yet again, it moved not. Blood dripped from the corpse's teeth onto the ground. A large gouge in its face and in random spots across its body proved the evidence of the carnage they had witnessed.

Candu and Humphrey slowly walked out, warily approaching the wolf as it played with the corpse. When it wouldn't respond, it would whimper and prance a bit, nudging it with its nose like a pup would do to its parent. Humphrey was disturbed by the prospect of this wolf acting as though it were nothing but a pup, but everything the wolf did to the corpse pointed towards an attention seeking young wolf.

He glared at the wolf when it became annoyed and tore into the flank of the dead wolf, scattering bones, organs, muscle, fur, and flesh every which way. It snarled barked, growled and howled, cut and tore into the corpse until it was nothing more than a sick, twisted, unrecognizable apparition of what the creature formerly was.

"HEY!" Candu barked. The wolf's head shot up and looked at them. Its eyes burned a sickly yellow, like two demonic orbs glaring at them from its dark fur. Foam dripped from its jaws, blood splattered across its face. Entrails of the deceased wolf hung limply from its maw, blood dripping down from its muzzle. It bore its fangs, the wolf crouching down by its kill. Its tail jittered like a schizophrenic anomaly in its tail muscles.

It slunk back into the forest, growling at them menacingly as it disappeared. Candu and Humphrey looked at each other. The brief glance they shared was all it took for one thought to go through their mind: MOVE. They darted through the trees and back towards the Pack Den. They howled every which way, warning any wolves that were outside to get back to the Pack Den immediately. The last thing anyone needed was to be outside while a Mad Wolf was about.

They rushed into the Pack Den, Lily and Garth meeting them. They demanded to know what happened, but Candu and Humphrey were hyperventilating from the overdrive of their stamina on the sprint back home.

"There's a Mad Wolf in the territory!" Humphrey gasped. "We saw it eat another wolf by the River Border!" Lily's eyes widened and Garth howled. The howl was returned and rebounded throughout the territory as more wolves received and relayed the message.

The call was a warning of the Mad Wolf. Whenever a Mad Wolf was sighted, it was imperative that all other wolves in the territory return to the Pack Den at once. Mothers gathered up their pups frantically, ushering them into the protective confines of their dens. The Alphas gathered together in the main clearing, Garth informing them of the situation at hand. Suddenly, Humphrey realized something. Eve and Kate were nowhere to be found. He cursed himself, knowing that Eve was tending to Kate back at their den far away from the Pack Den. They wouldn't have heard the call, meaning that they were still back at his den and at risk of confrontation with the Mad Wolf.

Humphrey bolted in that direction, heedless of the warning barks and howls of the wolves behind him. His mind was set on only one thing: getting Kate out of there alive. He leapt over anything in his way, moving as fast as his legs could take him and faster still, rushing to their den. If anything happened to her while she was sick, he'd never forgive himself.

He finally neared their den, calling out to them. Dark clouds had rolled in over the sky, lightning flashing overhead. The Mad Wolf would be more difficult to see now, its cunning element of insanity on its side.

**Kate**

Kate had puked up the disgusting herbs several times; Eve taking mental notes of her each reaction. The first one she hacked up in seconds, the second left her retching in the reeds by the nearby pond for over fifteen minutes. After each revolting herb was-at times-forcefully fed to her, Kate would relish in the time she had before Eve readied the next herb for her to try. One thing was for sure: she wouldn't be eating a meal for a while.

Suddenly, she heard Humphrey's howl from outside. She grinned when she heard his voice, Eve giving a smile to her when she saw her happy daughter. Kate howled back outside in welcome, but his second call was bone chilling. Eve dropped all of her herbs when she heard what Humphrey called.

Neither one of them seemed willing to believe that what they'd heard was correct; after all, the thought of it was crazy enough on its own. Humphrey was warning them of a Mad Wolf in the territory. Kate called back for confirmation when suddenly, Humphrey dashed into the cave as rain began to patter on the stone around them. Kate gasped in surprise when she saw her mate arrive. His eyes were full of fear and worry.

"Come on, we have to go!" He said, panicked.

"Humphrey, what's going on?" Kate asked. She was scared, something that seemed completely alien to her; she couldn't remember a time that she was truly scared. Concerned, yes; scared, no. Now…now she began to familiarize herself with what she assumed was true terror.

"There's a Mad Wolf!" He explained. "Candu and I saw it by the River Border at the old Eastern Territory. Come on, we have to move NOW!" Kate and Eve didn't hesitate. The term 'Mad Wolf' was enough to get them on edge. They ran quickly towards the Pack Den as the rain flew around them. The wind howled viciously, leaves from the trees torn from their branches and flying around them. Luckily, the Mad Wolf was not in the area and they returned to the Pack Den without incident.

Wolves were being huddled into the large cave beneath the rock overhang on the far side of the valley, the Alphas taking up defensive positions just outside. They allowed Kate, Humphrey and Eve inside. Wolves were sitting in the cave, cramped and scared. Everyone was darting around, trying to find friends and family. The pups and their mothers gathered in the back, mothers and fathers trying to comfort their terrified young.

"Is everyone here?" Winston called. "Is everyone accounted for? Anyone missing?" The terrified talking had turned to nervous murmuring. Lily, Garth, Winston, Tony, and Eve gathered on a large rock overlooking the cave. Everyone stared at them in fear.

"As you all know, there was a Mad Wolf spotted near the river by the old Eastern Territory," Garth announced. "Humphrey, Candu; you two were there. I think you should be the ones to give us the info we need." Kate looked at Humphrey worriedly. He smiled at her reassuringly and walked up to the rock to stand beside Garth. Candu stood next to Humphrey.

Humphrey had never spoken to a crowd before, especially not over such a delicate topic. He gulped in fear, then breathed and stepped forward.

"We saw a dark brown wolf by the River Border while we were on our patrol. When we got there, we found it eating another wolf," there was fearful murmuring from the crowd when they heard that it was a cannibal. "We saw it foaming from the mouth and it ran off in the direction of the mountains."

"So did it leave?" A wolf called.

"Is it gone?" Another called.

"No, you idiots!" Another howled. "It's a Mad Wolf; it'll keep trying to find us until we're all dead!" A terrified uproar ensued as they became scared. Winston howled for them to silence their talk. They all began to silence themselves and then return their attention to them.

"There's still a good possibility that the Mad Wolf is still in the territory," Candu said. "If you see the Mad Wolf, sound the alarm and get back here as fast as possible! Nobody should be out in the forest alone, and everyone should be on high alert. If you're with enough wolves to kill it, do so, but not at any risk. If there's any danger of getting injured, killed, or infected by it, don't go near it! Be on alert at all times until the Mad Wolf has been confirmed as killed."

With that, they dispersed into the crowd as the storm continued. The rest of the day was spent in fear. The wolves were able to eat the food that they recovered before the storm, though they rationed what they could from their lack of prey.

Kate and Humphrey lied together. Kate stared at him and nudged him. The wolves were beginning to fall asleep, Humphrey as well. He blinked, turning to her.

"Humphrey, I know why I was sick," she said. He smiled.

"So, what was the problem?" He asked. She grinned, receiving a confused expression from him.

"There's no problem," she replied. "My mom said it's just one of the phases."

"Phases?"

"Humphrey," she whispered. She looked into his eyes, her amber and his blue. She hesitated for a moment, wondering how he'd take to the news. She hoped that he wouldn't be mad at her. He desperately wanted him to be as happy as he was. She took a shaky breath, and then she told him. "Humphrey, I'm pregnant."

His eyes widened and they stared at each other for a while. Humphrey's mind whirled, and then he finally seemed to process the information that she gave to him. Kate was pregnant. She was pregnant from him. She would be a mother. He'd be a father. They would have pups. Kate and Humphrey were going to be parents. A large grin spread across her face.

"Really?" He asked. She smiled and nodded confirmation. He smiled and nuzzled her. "That's amazing, Kate!" He exclaimed quietly. She was relieved that he thought so. The terror of the possibility of his leaving her like some wolves would do had vanished as she basked in the shared joy with her mate. They would be parents! The terror of the Mad Wolf was now so insignificant compared to the pure happiness the two wolves shared. They curled up close to each other, falling asleep within each other's embrace.

In the darkness of the forest, two gleaming pits of crimson glared at them through the trees. The Dark Wolf breathed, air rising from its nostrils and forming in front of him as the cool air of the storm. He glared at Humphrey, his claws digging into the soft earth. He hadn't seen the nightmares in weeks. If they didn't return, then that could mean one of two things. The first was that the danger had left. He knew, however, that that was not true. He growled, a dark smile forming. The second possibility was that the nightmares would be returning soon enough, and that the danger was simply delayed.

The danger was inevitable. He had to attack Humphrey with more vigor, with more ferocity. He needed Humphrey to see the truth. If the Mad Wolf wasn't a sign to Humphrey, then knew he had to send more signs. He had to make him see what was in the Heart. If he didn't, then he would meet the fate that the Dark Wolf had.

The Dark Wolf seethed. It snarled at him, turning into the forest. Humphrey had to see the nightmares. He had to know what the danger was. He had to journey to the Heart and discover the truth. It rushed to the cliff overlooking the valley, releasing a snarling, blood-curdling howl into the night. _Prepare,_ the howl snarled. _Prepare._

**END ACT ONE**

**A/N: Well, that concludes Act One of the story! Now just to reiterate, this is not the end of the story, just the end of a part of the story! So yeah, you'll see another update either tomorrow or Monday (most likely tomorrow). Thanks to Alexander, (Guest), imjustlikehumphrey, The dark shadow, and humphreyandkate together for reviewing my last chapter! Yes, you heard me right: the actual HaKT reviewed my previous chapter! That, my friends, is a pretty damn big accomplishment on this side of the site! I may have written Call of Duty Fan Fiction, but I've been reading Alpha and Omega FFs for a while now and HaKT was one of the guys whose stories I've read a lot, and to see that he (or she, in truth I'm not sure if HaKT is a guy or a girl :/) is enjoying my story, that really motivates me!**

**So, what do you think of this chapter and Act One as a whole? I've noticed some grammatical and spelling mistakes in my previous chapters because apparently Microsoft Word decided to act like another goddamn Autocorrect (Damn you, Autocorrect!) and I'm trying to fix that up in my future chapters so that everything is making sense to all of you! Thanks for reading and reviewing! Until next time!**

**-The Dishonored Wolf**


	12. The Darkness Returns

**Act II – The Heart**

_The dark was closing in around him. Humphrey couldn't see anything in the dark forest. He tried to call out to anyone that could hear him, but no sound left his mouth, no response calling back. Everything seemed slow, as though he was trying to move through water. He could make out the form of dark pines and majestic oaks around him. The sky was dark and cloudy, a crimson hue in the clouds. Violet lightning flashed sporadically in the sky._

_ Humphrey walked through the forest in a random direction. He began to see familiar landmarks in the forest. He saw the large hill he went log sledding on with Kate, the river that would eventually wind back to the Eastern Border. There was nothing around that made any sounds, however. Save for ravens flying around, calling out with their demonic caws, the forest was relatively silent. _

_ Humphrey entered the clearing he met and mated with Kate in. He smiled as a host of memories flooded his mind. Then, he noticed a wolf sitting in the clearing. It was Lily. Humphrey walked up to her hearing her mumbling something. She stared with unblinking eyes out into the nothingness of the forest beyond. Her violet eyes were nothing but black pits. He tried to say her name, but no sound came out. He could only listen to what she was murmuring._

_ "He didn't listen to the warnings," she whispered softly. "He didn't take heed to them. He didn't warn us. He killed us all. He escaped but with his guilt as well. He killed us. He killed us. He killed us." Humphrey stared at her in fear. She repeated the same thing over and over, Humphrey moving on. He looked back to see if she was following him, but she was still sitting there, repeating her constant muttering._

_ He walked back to the Pack Den, his shock returning as he saw all of the wolves. They were all like Lily, their eyes black pits on their bodies. They all muttered the same words that Lily did, their eyes unblinking and staring off into the forest. He saw them all doing it. He wove through the bodies of the wolves as they murmured in unison. He walked back to his den, looking inside. He could hear murmuring from within._

_ He walked in cautiously, listening to Kate's voice. Their den seemed to be far deeper than it was in reality. He seemed to walk for endless miles before he saw Kate. Her back was turned to him. She wasn't saying the same things that the other wolves, were however. _

_ "You didn't discover the truth," she whispered. "You killed everyone. You ended our life together. You killed our pups. You killed them. You killed me." She turned to stare at him, her eyes glowing crimson. Humphrey couldn't move and he couldn't speak. She opened her mouth, a crimson light coming from her mouth. A low growl emitted from open maw as she moved towards him._

_ The cave returned to its normal size and Kate walked past Humphrey, staring at him. She walked to the mouth of the cave before she stopped to make sure he was following. He shakily began to move his limbs and follow her. She led him through the forest, her glowing crimson eyes lighting the way forward. She led him through the old, dead trees to the River Border._

_ He looked to the sides to see more Mad Wolves staring at him through the trees. Their sick yellow eyes glaring at him through the foliage, foam falling from their mouths. They snarled at him, bearing their fangs at him. He looked at them in fear, following Kate closely. They moved to the river where the mutilated corpse of the dead wolf still lay. Its body had begun to decompose, its yellowing bones showing through its torn hide. _

_ Blood streaked the ground where the Mad Wolf had dragged the corpse. Humphrey remembered those streaks. He, Candu, Winston, Garth, Tony, Claw, and Hutch had gone there to find the wolf, hoping that the Mad Wolf had returned to find its kill. It had returned, but it took the wolf with it, the streaks of blood covering the ground where the Mad Wolf had dragged away its prey deeper into the forest. They found what was left of the corpse a few miles away before, the Mad Wolf's scent gone. They hadn't run into the Mad Wolf in weeks, assuming it had left the territory. Everything had gone back to normal, the wolves walking around alone without fear of the Mad Wolf attacking them._

_ Things had seemed normal. Until now, that is. Humphrey hadn't dreamt in a while save for good thoughts of wondering what his pups would be like. He hadn't dreamt like this in over a month and a half. _

_ Kate walked through the blood towards a dark form looking over the Eastern territory. She sat next to it, looking back at Humphrey. He watched the two of them, wondering who the wolf was. It turned to look at him, its glowing crimson eyes staring at him. The two leapt across the river, turning to look at him. The Mad Wolves were closing in on him, snarling at him viciously. Humphrey shakily took a step forward, standing at the shoreline of the river. Their eyes watched him expectantly. _

_ It's either the Mad Wolves or these two, Humphrey thought. Guess I'll take my chances on the east. He leapt across the river, landing next to them. Kate vanished in a plume of dust and ashes, scattering away into the air. He looked back at the Dark Wolf. It walked into the trees looking back at him. Humphrey didn't move, waiting to see what the Dark Wolf would do. It waited for him to follow for a while, but Humphrey didn't want to follow._

_ It growled impatiently and snarled at him, gesturing to Humphrey to follow. Humphrey vigorously shook his head no. The Dark Wolf growled at him again and walked up to him. They looked each other in the eyes, Humphrey's filled with terror, and the Dark Wolf's eyes were filled with anger. _

_ "Discover the Truth," it growled, blood dripping from its maw. Humphrey shook in horror._

_ "W-w-what truth?" He asked. The Dark Wolf snarled and leaped at him, tearing into his flank. It left a deep cut on his right shoulder. It leaped at him, tearing at its throat. The worst part about dreaming, Humphrey found, was that no one could hear you scream._

He woke with a start, gasping. He looked to his right to see Kate resting peacefully beside him. She had been pregnant for over a month now, meaning that there was less than a month left before she birthed her pups. He belly was swollen as their pups resided in their womb. He smiled when he remembered Kate having him feel her belly, the small kicks of their pups felt from the outside. She had been ecstatic when she first felt them kicking, rushing around the Pack Den to tell everyone she knew-and even wolves that she _didn't_ know-about her pups' kicking.

She ended up wearing herself out that day, resting for hours. Her mood swings and eating habits had also changed drastically. She would go from being the happiest she-wolf in the forest to the most evil in mere seconds. She would always apologize profusely to him whenever she lashed out at him. He forgave her, understanding why she did it.

Her eating habits were the most drastic of changes. She would say she could eat an entire caribou and mean it literally. He caught a young caribou that had been blinded and went off to scat. When he returned, he saw Kate lying on her back with a large grin on her face, the caribou's bones picked clean. Humphrey had gaped at her for a long while before he finally snapped out of his stunned trance, realizing that she ate an entire caribou in a matter of ten minutes.

She seemed to have returned to normal in the past few days, though she couldn't hunt or over overexert any of her energy. She had tried to sneak out of their den on several occasions to hunt, but Humphrey always kept a watchful eye on her, much to her disappointment. He and Kate spent much of their time together walking peacefully through the forest.

He smiled and lied down, but he felt pain on his shoulder when he did so. He gritted his teeth in pain and clutched his shoulder. His shoulder was wet, warm, and sticky, intense pain coming from it when he put his paw on his shoulder. He looked at his paw pad and saw blood. He looked at his shoulder, shocked to see that there was a large, bloody, gash on his shoulder. First he'd seen terrifying nightmares, then a Mad Wolf, and now whatever happened in his nightmares was happening in reality.

He walked down to the river and washed off his wound, cleaning the blood from his shoulder and paw. The fur was torn on his shoulder, red flesh showing on it. It would heal with time and he could cover it up for the most part, but it didn't erase the fact that the Dark Wolf in his dream and tore into that exact same shoulder, and now he was wounded in reality. He couldn't shake the feeling of dread; if he could be wounded in his dream and have it happen in reality, what other part of his dreams were real?

**Later**

"You have to tell her to take deep breaths while she's in labor," Eve told him. She thought it best that if duties to her pack kept her away from helping Kate give birth to her pups that she give Humphrey the necessary information to help Kate give birth. As far as Humphrey could tell, giving birth was a lot more complicated than he thought. Although he didn't admit it, he thought that pups would just come out when they needed to and that was all there was to it. Now, however, he knew that wasn't exactly the case.

"What does taking deep breaths do?" Humphrey asked her.

"It helps calm down the mother and allow the pups to come out better," Eve replied. "When they come out, they'll be in a type of clear, white casing like a bubble so to say. Just bit that and it'll break, allowing the pup to breathe. You have to press lightly on its chest and belly so it can cough up blood and allow it to breath. It'll be covered in blood and be very cold, so you have to lick the pups until in the way they're facing to bring warmth to them. They'll naturally go toward their mother to get milk; if they don't feed within at least two hours, they'll die."

"Well, luckily they'll be right next to her so they'll feed quickly," Humphrey pointed out.

"Yes, unless something goes wrong," Eve replied. "If there is a problem where she is bleeding from where the pups come or there is something blocking them from coming out, then you have to cut open her womb to save the pups. If that happens, then her teats will be unable to feed the pups and you'll have to get them to a she-wolf who can feed them."

"Can she be saved if her womb has to be cut?"

"Yes, but that requires that you have moss and weeds to wrap around the womb, and that can sometimes tear. She'll have two stay still for many moons until her body can naturally heal itself, and if she moves even a muscle, it'll tear and she'll die. There is also the possibility that the pups could come out with deformities. I have witnessed pups born inside-out, have more or less limbs than they should, or sometimes they are stillborn, dead upon birth by one reason or another."

"This much can go wrong?" Humphrey gasped in horror.

"Yes, there is always a risk to every she-wolf, but the chances of problems occurring are just as likely as no problems occurring at all. You have to be prepared at all times for a problem to occur and to act quickly if I am not there to help. There are very few she-wolves that are familiar with the procedure of giving birth, only the elders and a few young'uns. If you are alone and cannot get help or if there is a problem where no one can help you, you must be able to act and help Kate give birth. Do you understand?"

"Yes," Humphrey replied. "I do."

"Good," she said with a smile. "Now, run along. She said something about going for a walk. Something tells me she's trying to go hunt again, so make sure she doesn't get herself killed before she has a chance to let me meet my grandpups. If she gets hurt, however, I'll make sure to tear-"

"Got it!" Humphrey cut her off, racing out to find her. She smiled and shook her head as he ran off to seek his mate.

**A/N: Well, there you have it! Thanks to imjustlikehumphrey, humphreyandkate together, and Alexander for reviewing my last chapter! Sorry that this one is so short, but I felt that what I wanted to add was coming on a bit too quickly. You can expect me to work hard on another chapter, possibly updating again later tonight and definitely tomorrow night. Thanks for the support as we go into Act 2 of Into the Darkness! Until next time!**

**-The Dishonored Wolf**


	13. The Mourning Wolf

_Humphrey was digging. He didn't know why, nor did he know where he was digging to. He was digging a large hole, his frantic attempts at digging faster cutting his paw pads and throwing dirt and grubs into his fur. He worked unflinchingly, digging further and further down, careful to ensure that the dirt sloped upward so he could walk back out with ease. A dark smile grew across his face as he began to realize what the hole was fore. It was a grave, just large enough for a wolf. Humphrey was going to kill, and he was going to bury the wolf in the grave. _

_ A sudden, horrid bloodlust engulfed him. He tasted blood on his tongue and laughed demonically, ready to kill the wolf he sought and bury it. When he was content with the width and depth of the hole he scrambled out and shook his fur free of the dirt and grime. He smiled, walking up to the Dark Wolf. It swished its tail, and then bounded out into the forest. Humphrey followed diligently, ready to follow the Dark Wolf wherever it went. _

_ The Dark Wolf wanted blood, and it wanted Humphrey to share the blood with him. The two then looked at each other and leaped at each other, claws extended. They tore at each other, opening wounds on their legs so they could lap the blood from each other. Humphrey enjoyed the taste of the blood; he wanted more. He wanted to have it all._

_ Despite his want-his need-for the blood, he knew that they had to live long enough to kill a wolf and throw it into the grave. They would drain the corpse of its blood, coat their pelts in crimson, and become one with the dead. Humphrey could feel as much as see the foam flecking his muzzle. He smiled demonically, as they ran into the forest. Mad Wolves flocked around them, growling and howling, attacking each other and fighting over the meat of wolves that were weaker, wanting to feed._

_ Mothers regurgitated the meat of cannibalized wolves for their Mad Wolf pups. The weaker, frailer Mad Wolves picked off the pups, tossing them about and smashing their bodies on the ground, feeding on their battered corpses. _

_ Humphrey smiled in grim approval. Their muzzles were covered in wolf blood, their teeth crimson, entrails and scraps of meat hanging from their mouths. This was how wolves should live. Not the ways of weak pups. It was a hierarchy of blood; the weak died, the strong lived. It was always meant to be this way. No Alphas, no Omegas, no Betas; simply the strongest surviving. _

_ He ran through the dark, burning forest with the Dark Wolf. The tree branches reached out, taking any wolves foolish enough to come within their grasp and tearing them apart. Humphrey laughed at the bloodshed, grimly following the Dark Wolf through the dark forest. It was when they reached the River Border that Humphrey's mind and sanity returned to him. He collapsed, throwing up on the rock. He was disgusted with himself and everything he saw the wolves doing. His eyes returned to their natural color and he leapt into the river, washing off the blood and gore. He didn't want to see anything like that again; he didn't want to think of it._

_ The Dark Wolf waded through the river, beckoning him to the shoreline of the Eastern territory. He dragged himself on the rock, shivering and sniveling, spitting up whatever was left in his mouth. The Dark Wolf watched as he did this. Humphrey closed his eyes, sobbing to himself as the Dark Wolf watched him. It was about an hour before Humphrey finally dragged himself up to his paws. He met the crimson gaze of the Dark Wolf. He gave raspy breaths as they stared at each other. They walked into the forest of the east. Again, Humphrey hesitated before placing his paw in the forest. He shakily looked down at the ground. He looked ahead to see the expectant, crimson eyes of the Dark Wolf looking at him. _

_ Humphrey took a step back. The Dark Wolf seethed in anger. Once again, Humphrey refused to go with him. Why wouldn't the dumb wolf just follow him? Why couldn't he just do what had to be done?_

_ "Discover the Truth in the Heart," the Dark Wolf growled. _

_ "What truth?" Humphrey asked. "What's the heart?" _

_ "The Truth must be discovered!" The Dark Wolf snarled. Humphrey was taken aback by the ferocity of its response. It stalked up to him, knocking him to the ground. It stood over him, sinking its claws into his chest. "Journey into the Heart! Go into the Darkness and discover the Truth of the Heart!" _

_ "What darkness? What heart? What the fuck are you talking about?" Humphrey cried. He kicked at the Dark Wolf, sending it flying into a tree. Humphrey was having a nightmare, he knew it; if it was his dream, then he could control it. Humphrey wasn't going to let this Dark Wolf torment him any longer. It crawled up from the ground and looked at him. _

_ Humphrey's heart lurched when he saw the Dark Wolf transform into the apparition of Kate. She looked at him with hurt in her eyes. Blood poured from a wound in her side. Humphrey looked to see a bloodied stick on the side of the tree where he threw the Dark Wolf. It impaled him, and now the Dark Wolf had proved itself to be Kate._

_ He killed Kate. No, no no no no no! He promised he'd protect her, not kill her! NO! Tears fell from her eyes as she looked at Humphrey, crawling towards him, pleading to save her pups. But it impaled her womb, the pups were bleeding out. He killed his mate and he killed his pups. _

_ "Humphrey, please," she sobbed. "Please!"_

_ "No, no no no, baby, no! Kate, please, no!" Humphrey cried. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to, I didn't mean to!" Her eyes glowed crimson and blood poured from her womb. The dark pups crawled rom her belly, hissing and snarling at him. _

_ "YOU MADE ME DIE!" She screamed._

"NO!" Humphrey screamed, waking in the dead of night. He gasped for air, his eyes wide. He looked to his right, seeing Kate next to him, sleeping soundly. He had no idea how she managed to stay awake after his outburst, but she did. He turned, facing her. He placed a paw on her womb, feeling the small, feeble kicks of one of the pups. He could feel the pup's strength behind each kick, and he knew it was all from one pup. The kicking came from the same place in her womb.

Humphrey smiled, letting a laugh escape his lips. He could tell the young pup would be an Alpha like its mother; he remembered Kate when she was nothing but a young, adventurous pup. As much as Humphrey was ecstatic to see that she would be an Alpha, he knew that teaching the pup to ways of an Omega was just as crucial. He smiled, nuzzling her belly, hoping to tell the pup that he was there. The kicking stopped save for one small tap. He smiled and lied down again. Then, he heard a growl. It was too low to be Kate's.

Humphrey turned around to see the Dark Wolf looking down at Kate, its crimson eyes glaring at her. He leapt to his paws, his claws unsheathing. He bore his fangs, growling at the Dark Wolf. Kate began to stir, looking at Humphrey.

"Humphrey?" She asked. "What's wrong?"

"Kate, get behind me," Humphrey whispered. "Get behind me right now." She looked at the Dark Wolf in confusion. She walked behind him, looking at Humphrey.

"Humphrey, what-"

"What are you doing here?" Humphrey snarled at the Dark Wolf.

"I like to watch your mate sleep," it growled, a savage smile spreading across its face. "I like to imagine how she'd look dead." Humphrey yelled and leapt at the Dark Wolf, tearing at its flank. The Dark Wolf snarled and ran from the cave. Humphrey pursued it, Kate calling back to him desperately.

"I'm going to rip you apart!" Humphrey howled. "Get the fuck over here!" He ran through the fields, chasing after the Dark Wolf relentlessly. He was going to end this, and he was never going to let that monster hurt Kate! He leaped at him, catching his hide and sinking his claws into it. They tumbled into the grass, attacking each other viciously. Their fangs and claws sank into each other, blood falling from their bodies.

"WHO ARE YOU?" Humphrey screamed. The Dark Wolf spat into his face. "ANSWER ME!" They both heard growling and looked left. Two sickly glowing eyes glaring at them from the tall grass. The Mad Wolf had returned for one last kill. The Dark Wolf smiled and ran off.

Humphrey backed away slowly as the Mad Wolf stalked forward. Foam flecked its muzzle, the dried blood still covering its body after the cannibalism, possibly even more in the month that transpired from that fateful day. He howled desperately into the night, warning of the Mad Wolf. The Mad Wolf lunged at him. Humphrey dodged, rolling out of the way.

The Mad Wolf's eyes glowed with excitement. Its tail began to wag and it lunged forward to attack Humphrey. He was shocked; the Mad Wolf thought that Humphrey was enjoying this! He couldn't keep the Mad Wolf at bay for long, its movements becoming more erratic and hyperactive. When the Mad Wolf failed to catch Humphrey, it grew restless and snarled ferociously at him. It chased him through the grass before running off. Humphrey was alone in the tall grass. He couldn't see over anything, looking around frantically to see where the Mad Wolf was.

He could hear it sniveling and growling all around him. He turned every which way, trying desperately to find it. It made hacking sounds, mocking howls echoing through the night. Humphrey ran forward, trying to get away from the Mad Wolf. Finally, the sounds ceased. Humphrey's eyes darted around, his ears on high alert, his nose scenting madly for some sign of the Mad Wolf. He whipped around, trying to peer through the darkness of the tall grass.

He saw something glint in the darkness. Humphrey held his breath, watching it. It looked as though the moonlight was reflecting off of the tall grass. The glint hardly moved, no sound coming from that direction. Humphrey leaned in closer, looking at it carefully. Then it hit him: there was no moon on this night.

The light turned into two yellow eyes as the Mad Wolf lunged. Humphrey was slammed to the ground. The Mad Wolf snarled, lunging forward to tear into his neck. Humphrey held it desperately at bay, the salivating, bloodied fangs mere centimeters from his exposed neck. Humphrey struggled to get it off of him, but it held firm, its claws sinking into ground. It moved its paw, slicing Humphrey's belly. Humphrey growled in pain as blood was drawn. He kicked at the Mad Wolf's chest, throwing the Mad Wolf off a bit. He scrambled to get out of the way, but the Mad Wolf got up quickly, racing towards him. It planted its claws into Humphrey's paw, ready to bite down on Humphrey's neck.

A wolf crashed into it, throwing the Mad Wolf off. Humphrey shot up to see Kate growling at the Mad Wolf. Humphrey's eyes widened in horror; she shouldn't be out here, especially not when she was pregnant!

"Kate, get out of here!" Humphrey growled.

"No, we'll deal with this together!" Kate cried, dodging a lunge from the Mad Wolf.

"Dammit, Kate!" Humphrey screamed. "Go! It's not safe for you here!"

"Right!" Kate growled, rolling out of the way and standing beside her mate. "So it's safer for you to be here than it is for me, right?"

"I'm not going to argue with you, Kate!" Humphrey snarled, shoving her into the tall grass. "Go, get out of here!" She gave him a hard glare and ran off, leaving Humphrey to fight off the Mad Wolf. "Alright, come on!"

The Mad Wolf snarled with terrible joy and lunged. Humphrey dove underneath it to the other side of the short grass. He spun around, sinking his claws into the ground. He turned his rear to the right, eyeing the Mad Wolf. If he was able to perfectly replicate a fighting move Kate taught him, he'd knock the Mad Wolf away. If he messed up by even a fraction of a second, the Mad Wolf would end up catching one of his legs and tearing him apart, turning him into another ravaged corpse like the wolf at the River Border.

The Mad Wolf smiled maniacally, its yellow eyes glaring deeply at Humphrey. It leaped forward, claws outstretched and fangs barred. Humphrey whipped his rear to the left, kicking at the side of the Mad Wolf. His left paw hit the side of his face, the right paw hitting its right shoulder. He had replicated the move flawlessly; the Mad Wolf landing sprawled away. Humphrey heard a bone snap as the Mad Wolf landed on its leg. It howled in pain, yelping and crying in agony. It rolled on its side, its three uninjured legs stumbling around, the Mad Wolf trying to regain its stability. He looked at Humphrey with pain-filled eyes, and for a moment, Humphrey felt sympathetic for the poor creature.

Then, its eyes were filled with hatred. It ignored the pain of its broken leg and lashed out at Humphrey. It managed to grab a hold of Humphrey's before he could react and shake him about. Humphrey kicked and tore at the Mad Wolf, trying to get it off of him. It began to do exactly what it did to the dead wolf at the Border River; he slammed Humphrey's head into the ground. Each hit made Humphrey lose conscience, his hold on reality beginning to dwindle. He tried to struggle, but he couldn't keep hold of his own mind long enough to do so.

He heard someone call his name, and someone crashed into the Mad Wolf. He dragged his beaten face off of the ground, expecting to see Kate trying to beat back the Mad Wolf again. Shockingly enough, it was not Kate; it was Shakey. He growled at the Mad Wolf, standing in front of Humphrey. He was shocked to see Shakey standing up to the Mad Wolf; had he gone insane? Shakey was one of the weakest wolves he'd ever seen!

Shakey laughed at the Mad Wolf, dodging and mocking it as it lunged at him constantly. Humphrey shakily tried to regain his composure, but he collapsed and hit the ground hard. He quivered, trying to help Shakey fight off the Mad Wolf. Shakey leaped and dodged, tumbled and spun, evading the Mad Wolf at every turn. Then, he faulted. Shakey slipped, hitting the ground. That was all it took for the Mad Wolf to attack Shakey. It pounced on him, tearing into his belly and spilling his blood and organs.

Its head shot down, tearing into the side of its neck, ripping out shreds of flesh. He screeched in agony as the Mad Wolf tore into him. Blood covered Shakey's small, frail form. Humphrey's eyes widened as he saw one of his closest friends torn apart by the Mad Wolf. Something within Humphrey snapped at that moment.

"NO!" Humphrey screamed. He scrambled upward and tackled the Mad Wolf to the ground. The Mad Wolf looked startled by the force of Humphrey. Humphrey slammed the Mad Wolf's head into the ground. His fury had taken precedence and all that was left of his mind was a dark void of hatred. He slammed its face into the ground, tearing into the Mad Wolf's chest. He dug his claws into the Mad Wolf, ripping open his chest and tearing open his rib cage. He dug into the depths of the Mad Wolf, blood pouring out onto the ground, staining the grass with crimson.

Then, Humphrey found the faintly beating heart. Yellow veins glowed on the crimson organ. Humphrey screamed and sank his claws into its heart…and tore it out of the Mad Wolf's chest. The Mad Wolf's eyes looked at Humphrey, half pained and half grateful, as though whatever was left of the Mad Wolf's sanity had returned to thank Humphrey for killing it.

Humphrey placed his paw in its open chest, lifted back his head, and released a blood curdling howl into the dead of night. He looked down at the Mad Wolf in hatred, then sprinted back to Shakey. His friend was gasping for air, blood spurting from his open neck whenever his respiration system tried to pump more air into his body. He coughed up clots of blood onto the ground, looking at Humphrey in pain.

"Guess I r-really s-s-screwed it up, t-this time, eh, H-Humphrey?" Shakey stuttered. Tears fell from Humphrey's eyes as he listened to the words of his friend.

"No, no you didn't," Humphrey replied. "That was brave of you, man; I would have never even thought of doing that."

"Y-you were fighting the thing before I got here," Shakey replied. "I was s-stupid. I was f-f-fucking stupid, dude."

"Shakey, come one, I got to get you to Eve," Humphrey said. "She's best with wounds. She can fix you; she can make you better."

"I…I-I-I-I don't think I'm g-going to m-make it, H-Humphrey," Shakey said.

"Don't say that, I'm getting you out," Humphrey replied.

"I'm going to d-d-die, Humph," Shakey said. "I'm going to d-die."

"You're not going to die,"

"I'm going to die,"

"No, you're not,"

"I am, Humphrey,"

"YOU'RE NOT GOING TO FUCKING DIE, SHAKEY!" Humphrey sobbed. "You won't die! You won't die, Shakey! You won't!" Shakey breathed raggedly, blood pouring out of his open wounds. Humphrey's tears fell from his face and into Shakey's blood. It swathed around his paws, coating them in the thick, sticky blood. "You're going to go log sledding again! You, you'll go hunting just like I did, man! You and Reeba; you two are about as close as can be! You two are going to be mates soon, Shakey! You're going to have pups like me and Kate! You'll have your own family, and you'll still be that fun-loving Omega that everyone knows, just like you've always been! You won't die, Shakey! You won't fucking die!"

"H-Humphrey," Shakey breathed. Humphrey looked down at his friend. A single tear left his eye as he looked at Humphrey. Humphrey watched as his eyes began to pale. "Keep up the fun times, you hear?"

"Yeah," Humphrey sobbed. "I hear you, man." Humphrey kept his eyes locked with Shakey's. It took them only a few moments for Shakey's breathing to stop, the blood stopped flowing. Humphrey looked down at one of his closest friends. He sobbed, pulling a bloody paw over his eyes, closing them.

He couldn't take it anymore. He collapsed on the ground, sobbing. He pulled a paw over his eyes in despair, blood drying into Humphrey's fur. His chest tightened, his heart pounding in sadness. He sobbed, tears running down his face. More wolves rushed into the grass clearing, stunned at the scene. It didn't take them long to figure out what happened. Salty and Mooch looked down at the body of their friend, groaning in sadness.

Kate stared at the corpse, then at Humphrey. She stumbled towards him, nuzzling him. She lied beside him, trying to comfort her mate. The wolves began to howl a mournful requiem for Shakey, Kate softly whispering into the ear of her mate. He sobbed into her shoulder, Kate's tears falling into Humphrey's flank.

"It's okay, Humphrey," she murmured into his ear, trying to offer her condolence to him. She sobbed with him, doing her best to keep him from falling apart in front of her. "It's okay, Humphrey; I'm here. I'm here."

_For the moment,_ the Dark Wolf whispered. _That is, unless you discover the Truth of the Heart._

**A/N: Pretty tough chapter for me to write, either by me watching The Walking Dead at the same time as writing it or by the intense nature of the chapter, I don't know. All I know is that this is, to confirm with humphreyandkate together's recent review, only the beginning. Thanks to imjustlikehumphrey and humphreyandkate together's reviews on my last chapter. **

**Humphrey now knows exactly what's going to happen if he doesn't find the Truth of the Heart. He doesn't seem to know what it is, and neither do you guys. I, however, know EXACTLY what it is! Now, you can all imagine my evil laugh! Ha ha ha! All jokes aside, the Truth will be revealed sooner than you think, and a startling revelation will come into play very, very soon! Until next time!**

**-The Dishonored Wolf**


	14. Riddles in the Dark

Life in the New Pack was gloomy. The unexpected and horribly young death of Shakey had changed everyone. A somber cloud seemed to hang over Jasper. Even the Omegas didn't have the heart to make a joke or have fun, especially not Humphrey, Salty, and Mooch. Life wasn't the same with their fourth member; they could hardly remember a day that they hadn't been hanging out. They had been friends ever since Humphrey had been accepted into the Western Pack. Now that he was gone…it just wasn't the same.

Reeba was distraught and sobbed herself to sleep every night. Janice tried to think of ways to comfort her friend but nothing worked. She refused to eat and only drank when it was forcefully put into her mouth. She had turned into a gaunt, hollow shell of what she used to be. Losing Shakey had done this tone her, and it didn't take her long for her to be unable to leave her den; she was too weak.

Humphrey wasn't the same, and Kate could tell. He still cared and loved her deeply, but Shakey's death had removed part of the fun-loving Omega that she fell in love with. He would stare into space at times, caught in an unbreakable trance. In the week that had passed since Shakey's death, she tried to cheer him up by thinking of names for their pups. Humphrey knew that she was trying to get his mind off of Shakey, but she suspected that he was never fully concentrated on a subject she tried to strike up, his thoughts drifting back to the dark night.

"So, what do you think we should call the males?" She had asked. He smiled, thankful to think of something good in this dark time. He sat down and thought hard, but couldn't seem to come to any promising conclusion. Then, he seemed to have an idea.

"What if we gave our pups older names," Humphrey had suggested. "Like the wolves of ancient times, you know, give them more unique names." Kate's tail began to wag as her mind flooded with new ideas.

"That's a great idea, Humphrey!" She had exclaimed. "So, let's think of some names for the males and then we'll go on to the she-pups afterward!" He agreed and the two brainstormed names. Humphrey suggested Fenrir, but then thought better of it when he remembered that Fenrir was one of the Great Wolf Gods. If the Gods existed, they probably wouldn't be too pleased by their pups being named after them.

For the males, they thought of Ryker, Storm, Caenus, Aatu, Adalwolf and Falin. For the she-pups, they came up with Mhari, Otsana, Lupa and Awang. They continued brainstorming names for both genders, not quite sure how many males and females would be born. That and they wanted to have plenty of choices when it came to naming them.

"I want one of them to be Kala," Kate said. "It sounds like a sweet name for a young she-pup." Humphrey smiled and agreed; the two were happy that they could at least look forward to something in the next three weeks.

It was the next day that Reeba's body was found at the bottom of the valley. Bones were broken, limbs twisted and bloodied from a dangerous fall. Some speculated she was pushed or chased to the edge. The rest assumed that she jumped on purpose. Her body was taken to the burial grounds and laid next to Shakey's. The wolves howled requiem for the loss of the two young wolves, the families of both distraught and seemingly lost. They felt as though they had failed as parents to see their pups die before they did, especially when they were so young.

Humphrey, Salty and Mooch walked on top of their favorite log sledding hill, looking out over Jasper as the waterfall roared behind them. They sat on the rock ledge that they had first log sledded on. Humphrey remembered the day he found that half log sitting there, the idea sparking in his mind. The four friends had planned out the log sledding ride for weeks when they finally worked up the courage and sledding route to use.

Ironically, their first ride was the day that Kate left for Alpha School. The three sat there, howling their misery and goodbyes to their fallen friend. He had had so much to live for, and it was all taken away from him in an instant. Shakey didn't need to save Humphrey; he could have let him die at the paws of the Mad Wolf, yet he leapt in front of it, taunting and mocking it with more bravery than Humphrey had ever seen in a single wolf before. Humphrey couldn't take the sight of his dead friend in his mind; he couldn't permanently wash away the blood that he'd stepped in, nor the blood that he spilled of the Mad Wolf.

The three friends howled for hours until they felt their debt due to their friend's memory was justified. They had howled for approximately thirteen hours, from dawn until dusk. They padded drearily back to their dens, departing with half-hearted goodbyes. Sweets met Salty on his way back to his den, trying to comfort him in this time of sorrow. He didn't seem to notice her presence, walking past her with his head hung low.

Humphrey walked back to his den, but then stopped, looking at Winston and Eve's open den. He began to pad in that direction, but thought better of it and went back to his den. He heard voices coming from his den. He leaned in and listened to them, discovering that it was a heated argument between Eve and Kate. He hated to eavesdrop on the two, but he wanted to know what they were arguing about.

"He's not a danger to me or anyone else," Kate snarled. Humphrey was shocked by her ferocity towards her mother. "He was defending himself and a friend; if I was him, I would have done the same thing!"

"He tore open its chest and ripped its heart out," Eve pointed. Now Humphrey knew that they were arguing about him. "I may have accepted him as part of our family but I can't let you stay here! He's a danger to you!"

"Humphrey loves me, Mom!" Kate growled. "And I love him just as much! I'm not going to let you take him away just because of something as small and insignificant as this!" Humphrey looked at the ground in sadness; he had turned Eve against him again. He hung his head low and walked away into the forest. He didn't want to hear anymore.

He let his tears run down his face as he made his way to the river. The river would wind back several miles before eventually going into the Eastern territory, the marker of the old border. He lied down beside the river, looking at his reflection. He saw himself as a blood thirsty monster, his eyes a sickly yellow like the Mad Wolf's. He saw a second reflection appear next to him. The Dark Wolf stared into the river as well, expecting a reaction from Humphrey.

At this point, Humphrey no longer cared about the Dark Wolf. Even if it was right next to him, he couldn't bring himself to attack it. He accepted its eerie presence, its darkness beginning to shroud around them.

"Have you discovered the Truth of the Heart?" It growled.

"No," Humphrey replied dully. "I don't know where to start. As much as I hate you, I know what you're going to do if I don't discover the Truth of the Heart. Where should I start?"

"Your Leader Wolf knows but is guarding the secret," he replied. "You mentor has heard but is deaf to its darkness. Your mind is the key to the Darkness, and although you do not yet realize it, you have known the Heart almost your entire life."

"Thanks," Humphrey replied sarcastically. "I'm just great with confusing riddles. If you want me to find the Truth of the Heart, then come out and tell me what the Heart is!"

"It is not a question of what it is," the Dark Wolf sneered, its image dissipating. "It is a question of where the Heart is." Humphrey growled and stood up, stalking back to his den. He had had enough of the Dark Wolf. Humphrey didn't know where or what the 'Heart' was, yet the Dark Wolf insisted that he find it and 'discover the Truth.' What was that even supposed to mean? What truth was there to be discovered?

Humphrey lied down next to Kate that night, his mind hard at work deciphering the message of the Dark Wolf. _Your Leader Wolf knows but is guarding the secret,_ the Dark Wolf said. _Your mentor has heard but is deaf to its darkness. You have known the Heart almost your entire life. _

_Your Leader Wolf knows but is guarding the secret. _Leader Wolf; the Leader Wolf was Winston; so if Winston knows, wouldn't that mean that he could simply ask him about it? That would make sense, but if it was this important, why would the Dark Wolf be coming to Humphrey about it?

_Your mentor has heard but is deaf to its darkness._ Who was his mentor? Humphrey thought long and hard, trying to figure out what the Dark Wolf meant. It couldn't be Kate; she was his love, but she hadn't exactly mentored him very much, and when he told her about his dreams, she didn't seem to make any sort of connection. It definitely wasn't Salty or Mooch; they were friends, not mentors. Perhaps it was Marcel and Paddy? No, they wouldn't be caught in these kinds of affairs. Besides, they had turned tail and flew back to Sawtooth when Paddy had been reunited with the bird that Paddy had dated before, the one that he had told Kate and Humphrey about when they were captured by humans. Unless he wanted to go out on a long journey that he could be easily killed on to find those two birds that probably hadn't the slightest clue what he was talking about, he had to think of other wolves that could have been his mentors.

That's when it hit him. _Garth_ was the Leader Wolf now, Lily the Leader She-Wolf. Winston, Eve, and Tony were retired wolves now, meaning that it wasn't Winston that knew the secret, but Garth. If Garth knew what the secret was, then that meant that Tony and the rest of the Eastern Pack did as well. Now it made sense; _Winston_ was Humphrey's old mentor! He was the one that took him in and accepted him as a wolf of the Western Pack when he was a pup.

_Your mentor has heard but is deaf to its darkness._ Humphrey was beginning to understand the riddle now. Winston must have heard about the secret that they were keeping, but must have not been sure as to its origin or exactly what the secret was.

_Your mind is the key to the Darkness, and although you do not yet realize it, you have known the Heart almost your entire life._ This was the part of the riddle that Humphrey did not understand in the slightest. He had known the Heart almost his entire life? How was that supposed to make sense? He didn't even know what the Heart was! He looked over at Kate. Was she the Heart?

No, that wouldn't make sense. If Kate was the Heart, then that would imply that he had gotten the rest of the riddle wrong. Humphrey thought hard, trying to figure out what the riddle was._ Your mind is the key to the Darkness. Your mind is the key to the Darkness. The Darkness…The Darkness…His mind._

That was it! Humphrey's mind was the key! If that was so, then that meant that his dreams were what was giving him the answers all along! Yet his dreams had become so vague, so weird. He didn't even remember them half of the time, only that they were really, really bad. If Humphrey was to find out where the Heart was and just what the Heart was, he had to pay attention to his nightmares and figure out the location.

_Humphrey whispered to the Dark Wolf, telling it that he was ready to see what was in his mind. He heard the Dark Wolf whisper back, and suddenly, Humphrey was standing on a large rock bridge, and ocean of molten magma surrounding him. The Dark Wolf was nowhere to be found, but Humphrey didn't need it. The Dark Wolf had already shown him where to go._

_ Humphrey dashed across the bridge, spiraling around the next large rock spire until he reached the top. More spires rose from the lava, the burning rock covering the tops. For a moment, Humphrey hesitated; if he was being harmed in his dreams, would that mean if he jumped on the lava in the dream-? No, he couldn't allow himself to think that thought through. He gathered his courage and leaped onto the rock spire. As soon as his paws touched the lava, it hardened into cool rock, leaving Humphrey unscathed._

_ He smiled and leapt from spire to spire, crossing the ocean of lava as more rock rose up, forming the clearing at the River Border. Humphrey walked forward cautiously, looking around him. There was nothing to be seen, heard, or felt. For the first time in any of Humphrey's nightmares, he had the luxury of solitude. He leapt across the river, landing on the old Eastern territory. He walked up to the tree line, looking into the darkness of the Eastern forest. He looked back, hoping for a glimpse of another wolf that could show him a way. He saw none and knew that this time, he was on his own. If Humphrey went in there, he'd face whatever was in the forest alone._

_ He looked back, taking a shaky breath. He placed a paw inside of the Eastern territory. He continued to repeat the action until he had finally worked up a solid walk. He looked around the dark forest. He couldn't see anything save for the silhouettes of trees outlined amongst the red sky. He continued walking forward when he began to smell something old and rotten. He followed the scent through the forest when he found a light at the other end of the forest._

_ He cautiously walked forward, looking into the light. The trees began to disperse, a trail widening for Humphrey to follow. He looked around him, reassuring himself that he was alone. When he was content that he was, indeed, alone, he walked forward towards the light. He could hear something burning, and suddenly, the light transformed into a forest fire. It swept past him with incredible speed. Animals crawled painfully through the smoke and fire, their pelts burning, their mouths puking blood on the ground._

_ A she-wolf whispered his name behind him. Humphrey turned to see Kate standing there, the fire closing in around her. Humphrey took a pained step towards her. Tears leaked from her eyes as the fire engulfed her. Humphrey screamed in agony when he saw her go. Suddenly, two red eyes glared from the inferno and he was smashed to the ground, Kate's burning corpse snarling at him._

_ "YOU MADE ME DIE!" She screamed._

Humphrey awoke, his heart tightened and blood running cold. He looked at her, breathing in her sweet scent. He felt a tear run down his face; now he knew for sure that the she-wolf in his nightmares was indeed Kate. He felt her belly, the same kicking from the small pup hitting her. He had felt the other pups before, but this pup was strong and it wanted out. It wanted to see the world outside of the womb. Humphrey smiled.

"I'll always protect you," he whispered to her and their pups. "I promise you, I'll always protect you." He slowly inched away, leaving her warm embrace and walking out into the forest. He made his way to where the violet flowers grew in their clearing. He looked them over and picked the most beautiful of them, running back to their den. He laid the flower next to her. He put his nose into her flank, inhaling her scent one last time. "I love you, Kate." He whispered.

With that, he walked away, tears stinging his eyes. He didn't know how long he'd be gone, nor did he know if he'd ever come back. If whatever was in the Eastern Territory was dangerous, then he there was a good chance he wouldn't come back out alive. He walked past Pack Den and into the forest, heading for the River Border. He rounded a corner and found himself face to face with Winston.

"Humphrey?" Winston asked. "What are you doing out here?"

"I, uh, I'm…" Humphrey tried to think of an excuse, some elaborate lie to tell him, but couldn't think of anything to tell him. He sighed and looked at Winston. "I'm leaving, Winston." His eyes flicked to the ground, disappointment clearly showing.

"I'm sorry to hear that Humphrey," Winston replied, his words shaky. "I was hoping that you'd see your pups. I can only hope that Kate can take care of your pups as a lone mother."

"No, no no no not like that," Humphrey said. "I'm not leaving forever, and I'd certainly never leave Kate or our pups."

"So, why are you leaving? Where are you leaving to?" So Humphrey explained his dreams to Winston, explaining to him exactly why he needed to leave and where he needed to go. He told Winston of the Dark Wolf's riddle. Winston nodded in understanding.

"That wolf you've been seeing, Humphrey," he said. "I know what he means by the Heart. It means the Dark Heart, the nickname for area beyond the Eastern territory. I'm not sure exactly what's back there, but it has something to do with the caribou disappearing from their territory. I tried getting information from Tony for years but he never said anything.

"Look, I'll make that Kate knows. I won't tell her everything, I'll just cover your tail until you get back, but don't take any unnecessary risks out there. Whatever killed off the caribou can kill you just as easily. If you see even the slightest hint of danger, I want you to pull out and get back here as fast as you can, do you understand?"

"Yes, sir," Humphrey replied. "I'll be back win a few days."

"I wish you good luck," Winston replied. "I knew that you were going to have a difficult path, and if this is where it truly begins, then so be it. Tread carefully, my son."

"Thank you, father," Humphrey thanked him graciously. He walked back deeper into the forest. He looked back at Winston, nodding to him. He nodded back and Humphrey ran into the forest, making his way to the Eastern territory.

Now it made sense; Humphrey had to find the Truth of the Heart, land beyond the East. He ran over the rock clearing, leaping over the river. He looked into the dark mist of the East, ready to find the Dark Heart.

"Into the Darkness," Humphrey whispered. "Well, here it goes."

"Well, I finally found you, Omega," a voice said behind him. Humphrey whirled around to be met with a large black wolf, its fur unkempt and its golden eyes boring into Humphrey's. Humphrey snarled. It was the Dark Wolf.

**A/N: And there we have it, everyone! Well, it looks like Humphrey's finally figured out what the Heart is and where he can find it! It's about time, right? But what's with the Dark Wolf's eyes? Why aren't they red like normal? Well, you're going to find out next chapter! I might even be able to update again today (there was an ice storm so school got canceled) so yeah, here it is! Thanks to Alexander and imjustlikehumphrey for reviewing my last chapter! Sorry for leaving you guys off on a cliffhanger, but that's just how evil I am! HA HA HA! Also, the name of this chapter was inspired by the song "Riddles in the Dark" from The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey Soundtrack. Just thought that would be a fun thing to share with you guys! Well, until next time!**

**-The Dishonored Wolf**


	15. Scourge

Humphrey's mind went blank. He no longer had any control over his emotions or actions. It was purely instinctual that he kill the Dark Wolf where he stood. The moment his eyes met those of the Dark Wolf, Humphrey was on him. His claws sank into his body, Humphrey slamming him to the ground. The Dark Wolf growled in pain as Humphrey left long scars down his flank. The Dark Wolf kicked him in the belly with incredible force, sending Humphrey sprawling a few meters away.

The Dark Wolf painfully dragged himself to his paws, blood falling from his cut sides. He glared angrily at Humphrey. Humphrey shot back up, snarling at the Dark Wolf. They circled each other, growling menacingly. The Dark Wolf tripped over a root jutting from the ground. Before he could blink, Humphrey had slammed him to the ground. He struggled to break free but Humphrey held him firmly in place.

"WHAT DO YOU WANT?" Humphrey snarled. The Dark Wolf looked up at Humphrey, and he noticed something different. The Dark Wolf's eyes were crimson, but this wolf had golden eyes. Still, he kept the wolf pinned.

"If you would get the hell off of me," the Dark Wolf countered. "I'd be able to tell you!" He didn't sound anything like the Dark Wolf. The Dark Wolf had a horrible, grating sound of a voice, it was incredibly deep, and it almost seemed to have its own reverbing echo embedded in it. This wolf's voice was the normal sound of a male wolf.

Humphrey warily stepped off of him, giving him some space. The wolf coughed raggedly, forcing himself to his paws. He glared at Humphrey in anger; he could hardly blame him. If this wasn't the Dark Wolf, then Humphrey had just unintentionally jumped a stranger.

"Alright, what do you want?" Humphrey inquired.

"To talk to you," he replied, licking his wounds. "Like I've tried to for almost two moons."

"So you are the Dark Wolf," Humphrey concluded.

"Who?" He asked.

"The Dark Wolf," he explained. "You've been starting shit in my head, almost got me killed by the Mad Wolf, and you just gave me that riddle earlier."

"Pup, just what the fuck are you talking about?" The wolf growled. So he wasn't the Dark Wolf; this was someone else. Still, he said that he'd been trying to talk to him for almost two moons; so who was he?

"I've been having these nightmares, and in each one there's this dark wolf with glowing red eyes that keeps telling me to 'Discover the Truth of the Heart.' I thought you were him." The wolf smiled as he cleaned his wounds, laughing. Humphrey was confused by his reaction and awaited his response as to why he was doing so.

"I know what you're talking about, I've seen him plenty, too," the wolf said. "I call him Sam."

"Sam?"

"It makes me feel like he's not just some demon wolf stalking me," he explained. "It looks like he's fucked with your mind as much as he's fucked with mine."

"What's he in my head for?"

"The same reason he was in mine," the wolf replied. "I was trying to tell you about it for a while now, but I guess Sam decided to tell you first."

"Tell me what?" Humphrey asked.

"What's in the Dark Heart," he replied. "I tried a few times to talk to you and warn you, and the last time was at the river. I saw you come down and look at me when I called out to you, but you started going all crazy. Some she-wolf came down and you went crazy on her as well, next thing I know she's throwing you around trying to snap you out of it. I thought you were going Mad Wolf for a while, but obviously I was mistaken."

"That was you across the river?" Humphrey questioned. The wolf nodded. "I thought you were the Dark-I mean…Sam."

"Yeah, it's a twisted irony that we look alike," he said. "I'm Scourge. Humphrey, right?"

"Yeah, I am," he said. "Why's your name Scourge?"

"Why's your name Humphrey?" He shot back. Humphrey was slightly taken aback by his response. Scourge walked up to the trees of the East, looking through them. He looked back at Humphrey. "You coming?"

Humphrey looked into the mist of the East. There was something dark and foreboding about the Eastern forest, and Humphrey was reluctant to go in. Still, he'd come this far. He might as well figure out what was going on while he still could. He nodded and Scourge led the way through the Eastern forest. The inside was dark, damp, and gloomy. Humphrey began to think that Tony wanted his pack out for more than just a lack of food; why anyone would ever want to live in such a horrific environment was beyond him.

Raves cawed and strange creatures called out, animals of the likes that Humphrey had never come into contact with. The poor visibility only made it more difficult for Humphrey to follow Scourge through the forest, his sense of smell being the most prominent and useful of his five.

The scent of rot and decay filled Humphrey's senses, his nose flaring from the horrific smells. The scent alone could make him lose his stomach, and the last thing Humphrey wanted to do was retch in the middle of their journey.

"How far is it to the Heart?" Humphrey asked.

"If we don't stop, we can reach it by nightfall at this pace," Scourge replied. It wasn't even dawn yet. Humphrey groaned inwardly; if he had known that to find this place one had to travel almost twenty hours, he'd have stocked up on food and water before he left the territory. The hot, sticky, moist air did nothing to improve his spirits, nor did the lighting or mood of the place in its entirety. "We should be able to return back in a day or two. You have to see everything that's happened in the Dark Heart."

"What's in there?" Humphrey asked.

"Death," Scourge replied.

**Kate**

Kate tossed and turned in her sleep. She gritted in her teeth, her body shivering. She was having a horrible nightmare. The forest, all of Jasper for that matter, was in flames. Animals ran from the flames, their pelts catching fire as they tried to escape the rapidly advancing inferno. She saw the fire come towards her and she began to run. It was difficult, her swelling womb slowing her down. He couldn't get much faster than an unsteady lope.

She could feel its heat on her hindquarters. Desperate to save herself and her pups, she ran faster and faster, her legs burning like the heat behind her. He heard someone call her name. She looked to see Humphrey running towards her. He told her to follow him and she complied, her mate leading the way through the burning park.

Blackened trees reached their gnarled branches forward, grabbing Kate's fur. She screamed and struggled, Humphrey helping her tear off the branches. They ran away, more wolves running alongside them, desperately trying to escape. She heard loud screeching sounds in the sky. She looked up to see strange, angular birds chasing each other to and fro, the odd red flashes coming from their eyes and obliterating each other, the birds bursting into massive balls of flame in the sky.

They panicked, sprinting forward. Suddenly, Humphrey stopped her, pushing her back as the ground split open before them. Wolves still running ahead fell into the newly opened chasm, falling into the lava below. She looked down in horror as wolves slowly burned to death, screaming in agony. They ran away, trying to find another route to the outside of Jasper. Suddenly, the fire flew into them. Humphrey turned to look at her, tears falling from his eyes as the fire instantly incinerated him. His ashes flew around her, blowing into the sky.

She cried out in sadness, unable to believe that her mate had died. Her legs felt weak and she collapsed, crying into the ash coated ground around her. She sobbed, allowing her tears to soak into the hot ash underneath her. She put a paw over her eyes as she cried in agony; her heart felt as though it was being torn out of her chest. She heard a deep growl from above her and found herself looking into the crimson eyes of a large, black wolf. It bore its fangs and she saw them lash out, about to tear her apart.

She woke with a start, finding tears running down her face. She had sobbed in reality just as she had in her dream. She felt her pups growing restless in her womb, kicking her belly fiercely. She placed her paw on her belly, gently whispering to them as she tried to calm herself down. Her heart was beating rapidly and her head was pounding. She felt hot, as though her fever had returned. She looked around, hoping to find Humphrey, but he was gone. He had probably left to join the dawn hunt. He had, however, left a departing gift. A violet flower laid next to her, his scent covering it. She smiled and smelled it.

"Remember the scent," a deep, ragged voice spoke. She shot up and saw the same black wolf with crimson eyes glaring at her from the cave entrance. "You will no longer know your mate's scent."

"Who are you?" Kate demanded, bearing her fangs and unsheathing her claws, fully prepared to defend herself and the lives of her pups. "What are you talking about?"

"Your mate has left you!" It snarled. "He will die finding the Truth of the Heart!" With that, he dashed out of her den. She followed outside of the den, but she had lost him. She sniffed, trying to find his scent, but it wasn't there. All she could smell was her own scent, the faint trace of her mother from the previous night, and Humphrey's. There was nothing else there.

She walked briskly back to the Pack Den. She was going to wait there for Humphrey; he would know what to do. She didn't want to live in that den for a while, not while that wolf was about. That's when it struck her with a surprising force. She knew that wolf. Humphrey told her about it; he'd seen it in his nightmares. She released a chocking sob when she realized that, like Humphrey, she had seen the Dark Wolf.

**A/N: And now, the journey begins! Two updates in one day again! Unfortunately, I doubt that'll be happening anymore with this story. The chapters will grow in length and description as the full story unfolds. Kate is seeing the Dark Wolf now, Humphrey has met Scourge who knows where the Dark Heart is, and he has also seen the Dark Wolf better known as 'Sam.' What will happen when they find what lies in the darkness of the Dark Heart of Jasper? What do you think could cause the unprecedented scale of death and destruction foreseen in the dreams of Kate and Humphrey? I guess you're all going to find out soon! Until next time!**

**-The Dishonored Wolf**


	16. The Darkness of the East

They walked tediously through the forest, fatigue beginning to wear on Humphrey. They had already spent over ten hours walking, stopping only momentarily to check if there was any fresh water. Unfortunately, the small streams and ponds they came across were tainted and poisoned, the water black and scenting of rot. In one stream that they considered drinking from, they discovered the body of a rabbit. Its rotting corpse tainted the stream a while away, forcing them to move along.

The light hardly improved as the day wore one. The thick tree cover and undergrowth prevented the sun from penetrating the foliage and reaching the ground. All that kept them from straying into the forest and getting lost was the mist dissipating a bit, allowing them to tell that they were still going forward.

The humidity made them sweat underneath their fur. They panted as they tried to move forward, the tough slog only getting tougher as they went along. Scourge was faring a lot better than Humphrey. He seemed to be well accustomed to it, managing to still walk straight with ease. Humphrey felt as though if he didn't get something to drink, he'd collapse from dehydration. He'd always had the luxury of being near a river, lake, or pond that he could drink from at any time he so chose.

Now that that luxury was gone, Humphrey was feeling the exhaustion that was accompanied with dehydration and fatigue. He panted heavily, doing his best to keep himself standing. Several times he felt himself falling asleep as they trekked on. Scourge looked back at Humphrey, making sure he was still following. When he noticed that the heat was taking its toll, on Humphrey, he sighed and diverted their course. He knew a couple places that they could go to and get water and rest, but the journey would be prolonged if they did so. He underestimated Humphrey, thinking that he was at least the type of Omega that could take the heat, especially if he had the strength to literally tear a wolf open. Evidently, however, he was wrong about Humphrey.

Humphrey's head drooped low to the ground as they continued on. The trees began to thin out and the ground cut in to a stone gorge. A fresh water stream flowed through the middle of the gorge. Scourge gestured to the stream. Humphrey went up to it, sniffing it cautiously. He didn't smell or see anything wrong with it, but he still asked nevertheless.

"Is this water safe?" He asked Scourge.

"I've drank from it a few times before, the last time being three days ago," he replied. "You're in the clear with this water." That's all it took for Humphrey to dive into the water, soaking his fur in the water. He took large mouthfuls of water, lying down in the water. He panted, his breathing ragged as he let the cool water soak into his fur. Scourge sat nearby, lapping water for a few heartbeats before sitting down, looking at Humphrey.

Humphrey continued his labored panting, his body cooling down. He dragged himself up and looked around the gorge. The rock walls were dotted with small caves. There was a large rock jutting from the end of the gorge, a dark cave underneath it. He saw bones scattered about the gorge, small piles of bones scattered sporadically about the gorge.

"This was the old Eastern Pack Den," Humphrey realized, observing it.

"Yeah, I can see why they abandoned it," Scourge said, gnawing on an old yellowing bone. Unfortunately for him, it snapped into multiple pieces, dust falling from his mouth. He spat out the bone dust in annoyance.

"Yeah, there wasn't any caribou left here," Humphrey informed him. "Caribou is big game in Jasper, and they overate all of theirs. That's why our packs had to join into one; otherwise, there'd be war between us."

"That's what they told you?" Scourge asked. Humphrey nodded confirmation. Scourge shook his head, scratching the stone ground with his claws. He looked at Humphrey. "How much shit do you actually believe?"

"What do you mean?" Humphrey asked.

"The caribou problem was a really small part of why they left," Scourge said bitterly. "My old pack lived on field mice just as easily as caribou without starving at all; and there are plenty of lizards, rabbits, and mice in Eastern forest. The caribou was a damn cover up."

"A cover up for what?" Humphrey questioned.

"They knew that they couldn't live here long before the danger got to them," he looked down at the ground, his voice becoming lost. "Just like it got to mine." Humphrey looked at him questioningly, asking him what he meant. Scourge didn't seem to hear him, though; he was lost in his own thoughts.

He got up and looked around, scenting the air and scouting each cave in the gorge. He leapt down and padded to Humphrey. He looked around the gorge and sat down. Humphrey rose into a sitting position, looking at Scourge expectantly.

"You're not fit for long travel," Scourge told him. "We should be over forty miles past this place at this point. We're going to have to rest here for the night. I know a few places in the territory we can go to and rest when you can't make it anymore, but you have to do your best to push yourself so we can get further than this every day."

"How long will it take to get to the Dark Heart?" Humphrey asked.

"Considering that you managed to get us four times slower than the pace we set back at the River Border and you seem incapable of managing yourself without food and water, I think we should reach the Dark Heart in two or three days if we're lucky."

"What?" Humphrey exclaimed. "That's too long! We can't just spend that much time out here!"

"Then you're going to have to haul ass tomorrow," Scourge replied. He turned away and began to walk out of the gorge. "I'll get us some food. You look like you'll need it. All of these dens are empty except for some dead bugs and a few half eaten mice. I'll be back in an hour." With that, Scourge departed, leaving Humphrey alone in the gorge. He growled to himself, angry that his physical condition prevented their journey from taking less time. Nevertheless, Scourge didn't seem to be apt to explaining what was in the Dark Heart or what was killing off the prey in the East, nor how it would affect the New Pack, but he was the only one Humphrey knew that could get there. Despite his distrusts of the newcomer, he had to keep faith in him that he could get Humphrey to the Dark Heart and fix whatever was going on.

The Dark Wolf, well, 'Sam,' seemed to be silent for the moment. He had yet to see if he would haunt Humphrey's nightmares while he slept, but ever since he'd entered Eastern Territory, he felt no indication that Sam was watching him. He walked around the dens after his gullet was full of fresh water, examining each small cave. He chose a medium sized den, scenting it. He recognized the faint yet long-term scent of Garth in the den, but he also scented someone else. He couldn't tell what sex the second wolf was, but he could tell that there was someone else that lived in the den.

He dismissed it; the second scent was probably a stray wolf that had used the den before when wandering in the East. For all Humphrey knew, it could have been the faint scent of Scourge in the den. He walked on, trying to find a suitable den to stay in for the night. He was hoping for a den like his own; he lived alone in his den for slightly over two years before he and Kate became mates and shared it together. Hoping to find a similar one that would remind him of home, he padded quietly through the gorge.

His search eventually led to the large den underneath the rock that jutted out over the canyon. As it was the highest of the dens and by far the most spacious, Humphrey assumed that it was Tony's den. He scented, confirming the familiar yet stale scent. He walked in, his eyes quickly adjusting to the darkness. As a wolf, he was able to see quite clearly in the dark interior of the cave despite the lack of light.

The cave went back far longer than Humphrey expected. It seemed to be more of a tunnel than a cave, much less a suitable den for the Pack Leader. He followed it curiously, rounding a corner. Cobwebs hung from the stone, blocking the passage ahead. They were old and withered, easily knocked back by Humphrey's tail. He brushed the cobwebs away, allowing him access to the rest of the cave tunnel. Walking to the back, he began to scent something odd. It smelled like rotting meat, perhaps remnants of an old meal that was left behind in their escapade out of the Eastern Territory. They had progressively moved closer to the West as Kate and Garth's alleged wedding had neared. Perhaps it was just an old bit of prey that Tony had left behind.

The scent grew stronger as Humphrey moved on. He saw a light at the other end of the tunnel, streaming over a dark pit in the stone ground. He walked forward through the darkness, roots brushing through his fur as he walked forward. He reached the end, a brightened chamber underneath the roots of a tree. The roots wound around the infrastructure, some protruding through the dirt and rock above. A hole in the ground allowed golden light to stream through a gap in the trees and into the chamber. The light fell down into the pit. Humphrey looked down, and then instantly recoiled in horror.

There were corpses in that pit. The bottom held the ancient, yellowing bones of wolves that had died there years ago, possibly the bones of centuries-old wolves. They rose in a pile in the deceptively deep pit, rising in a mound of death that rose nearly to the top of the pit. Old, dried blood crusted over the bones as dead wolves were thrown into the pit. At the top were three bodies that had yet to fully decompose. The largest was a red-furred she-wolf; at least, Humphrey thought it was a she-wolf. The old, matted, blood-covered fur sank into the aging skeleton, the organs inside already degraded and turned to dust. The eye sockets were empty, blood splotches underneath them where it seemed the eyes had been either been severely injured or-to Humphrey's despair-possibly gouged out by another wolf or other wild animal. It was not unknown for bears and coyotes to get into fights with wolves, commonly aiming for the eyes, ears, muzzle, tail, or legs to fatally impair the wolf it fought.

The other two were smaller corpses, possibly the bodies of pups around the age of three or four months. They looked physically like the she-wolf: ragged, blood matted fur sinking in on their bones, though the depressions seemed to be more extreme in this case as the pups may have not been well fed. Their eyes were missing as well, and one was missing a large portion of its face. They all had the same red fur as Garth and Winston, the other wolves nothing but old, blood-covered, rotting skeletons. He looked about the chamber, observing blood covering the walls and the floor. Humphrey could see no drag marks coming from the tunnel, meaning that all of the wolves had seen their final moments in this chamber.

He nodded in respect and recognition to the dead, walking back. When he was about to round the bend back, he turned to look at the chamber. A large, black wolf stood there, its crimson eyes looking at Humphrey. He stood, staring at Sam without fear in his heart. He knew the Dark Wolf now, and he had no need to fear him anymore. Humphrey dipped his head to Sam; Sam returned the gesture and dissipated into the air, wisps of darkness floating in the chamber before disappearing as well.

Humphrey returned to the river, lapping water from the river. As he waited, he wondered how Kate was faring, what Winston had told her of his disappearance, and how she would react when he returned almost a week later. If it was going to take several days to reach the Dark Heart, then it was clear to Humphrey that he'd be gone for well into a week, possibly near two weeks. Kate would have her pups within a few weeks; she-wolves stayed pregnant anywhere between fifty and sixty days. Kate was already into her forty second day of pregnancy. The pups wouldn't be long now, and Humphrey was determined to make it back to the New Pack before they came.

Scourge returned, several plump rabbits hanging from his jaws. He dropped them on the stone, pushing two to Humphrey, taking one for him. Humphrey was perplexed that Scourge decided to give him two and only take one for himself, but Humphrey was ravenous. He didn't so much mind having some extra food after not eating a meal since the night prior.

The two ate in silence despite Humphrey's attempts to strike a conversation with Scourge. Whenever he said something to the mysterious wolf, he received a low growl in response. Humphrey quickly got the message and simply waited for Scourge to finish eating. He had devoured his two rabbits, but Scourge seemed to take his time, making sure to pick away every scrap of rabbit from the bones. When he'd finished, he tore the spine from the rabbit's skeleton, gnawing on it, the rugged edges slowly sharpening Scourge's fangs. As he did this, Humphrey walked to the river and drank some more. Thankful that the humidity was going down, he seemed more energetic than before and ready to move on. Despite his previous exhaustion, Humphrey was eager to leave, so he made the suggestion to Scourge.

Scourge continued to gnaw on his bone, ignoring Humphrey's response. Ignoring or perhaps oblivious that he'd even asked him. Dark clouds rolled overhead, the scent of rain on the air. Scourge gnawed on the bone until it snapped in his jaws. He spat the spine out in anger and stretched his limbs. He looked at Humphrey with a glare.

"Not a good idea, pup," Scourge growled. "We move by day and sleep at night."

"But it's so much cooler in the night," Humphrey argued. "Besides, we're wolves! We're at home in the dark!"

"Not in this forest," Scourge replied darkly. He looked around the gorge, surveying the darkening sky. "We aren't the dominant species in East Jasper."

"What do you mean?" Humphrey questioned. "Are there bears around here? Wolverines? If that's the case, we can take them or just avoid them entirely. I've had enough experience with both in the past."

"No, bears and wolverines aren't dominant either," Scourge replied. "There's something else in here. Come on, night's falling. I assume you're already familiar with the den of the Pack Leader?" Humphrey nodded confirmation. "Good, that's where we're going."

"I'm not so sure that's a good idea," Humphrey replied, his thoughts drifting towards the bodies.

"I've already seen what's back there," Scourge replied. Humphrey's eyes widened with shock. "Did you brush the cobwebs out of the way?" Humphrey confirmed. Scourge cursed angrily and walked about, searching for another den. He glared at Humphrey.

"You idiot!" Scourge snarled. "If you had seen them from the gap in the tree, that would be one thing, but you took down the only thing that was keeping them from getting to the front of the Pack Leader den! They couldn't see or even scent past those cobwebs and always walked away!"

"What did?" Humphrey asked. "What was being kept back?"

"The Longfangs!" He snarled, his eyes darting around in fear. Humphrey looked around, trying to find what he was searching for. He didn't know what a Longfang was, but he knew that it didn't sound particularly friendly. There was an ominous nature to the name, something that Humphrey didn't like. Scourge spotted a den and scrambled up the rock pathways to the top of the gorge.

Humphrey followed him as they bolted along the rock ledge toward a small den. They both squeezed inside as the rain began to fall around them. The cave was deep but cramped, Humphrey feeling slightly claustrophobic inside of it. It didn't take long for the rain to fall down in force. The river began to overflow into the dens on the bottom of the gorge, the water was no more than the height of an average pup's paw, and it had yet to travel into the deeper part of the gorge. Humphrey's ears pricked when a truly blood curdling howl sounded over the sound of the rain.

Scourge shuddered in fear, moving further back in the den. Humphrey looked about the gorge, wondering where the sound had originated and what animal had made it. It sounded like no wolf or coyote he'd ever heard. It was a long, elongated howl. It didn't sound natural, like some kind of new creature. There was a demonic snarl embedded in the voice of the animal. It reverberated throughout the night. It sent chills down Humphrey's spine, his blood running cold. Even the demonic howls of the Mad Wolves didn't affect Humphrey in the same traumatic way that this howl did.

He crawled back to Scourge in the far back of the den. Scourge eyed the cave mouth nervously. They could see their breath in the cold air. Humphrey watched the outside of the cave, watching as the rain poured down the rocks. Humphrey hadn't expected this kind of a reaction from Scourge. Whatever was out there seemed to truly frighten him.

"What was that sound?" Humphrey asked him.

"Longfangs," he replied nervously. "They come out around this time and stay until dawn."

"What are they?" Humphrey asked him curiously. "I've never heard of Longfangs before."

"It's good that you haven't," Scourge replied. "You've had the luxury of not being exposed to them. They're only in the deep Eastern and Southern forests. We won't have to go south, that's not where we're headed. The Longfangs are the reason that I wanted to reach the Dark Heart or at least be within ten miles of it by this time. They don't come near the Dark Heart, but I wish they did. That shithole is the only place that they should be welcome."

"Are the Longfangs the reason that the East ran out of their prey?"

"No, they don't hunt caribou or deer; it's not in their diet. I don't know why considering what they do eat, it just doesn't make much sense to me."

"What do they eat?" Humphrey inquired, nervous as to what the response would be. He had every right to, his blood running cold when Scourge informed him of their regular dining.

"Wolves, coyotes, fox, I've even seen them take down bears oxen."

"Oxen? What is that?"

"It's a really large animal, kind of like a cow. Have you seen them before?"

"No."

"Then it's not something I really care to explain. It's bigger than a bear but doesn't eat meat, and they'll feed a pack for moons if it's taken down efficiently."

"Sounds like a good way to live," Humphrey mused.

"Yeah, but they're not too easy to take down without getting a wolf killed in the process. They're dangerous, no doubt about it, but not nearly as dangerous as the Longfangs."

"You said they were in the Southern Territory," Humphrey said. "Have you been there?"

"Yeah, I'm Southern blood," he replied. "We learned to live in fear of the Longfangs and in envy of the West."

"What about the North?"

"There're plenty of small wolf packs in the north, there's not a whole lot of packs that are the size of the Jasper Packs, mainly just small families that move around a lot. Unless you're talking about the Pack of the Northern Ice, but they probably don't exist."

"You don't believe in the Northern Ice Pack?" Humphrey asked.

"When have you ever seen them, pup?" He asked. Suddenly, they saw a dark form leap down from the cliff to the bottom of the gorge. Scourge's eyes hardened, his tail tucking tightly between his legs as he backed into the wall. "They're here. Don't make as sound, pup; if you hadn't moved those cobwebs away, we could have gone in the Pack Leader's den. I've been in there four times before and I know that the Longfangs wouldn't attack us in there, but I don't know about this den. So stay back, stay quiet, and whatever you do, don't let them see you unless you feel like living through the night."

**A/N: Well, there you have it, everyone! This was a fun chapter to write with my ability to create something that would give foreshadowing for Scourge's story and a reason for Humphrey to fear the dark of the Eastern Territory! The next two chapters actually won't be following Humphrey and Scourge at all, it'll be going through the back story going on with Kate and the New Pack!**

**Thanks to Alexander for reviewing the last couple chapters! So, what do you guys and girls think will happen next? Well, until next time!**

**-The Dishonored Wolf**


	17. Through the Iris - Part the First

Kate walked about the Pack Den for over two hours, hoping that Humphrey would be back. Unfortunately for her, he didn't return. She paced about impatiently, awaiting the arrival of her mate to tell him what the problem was. If the Dark Wolf he'd told her about was not visiting Kate in reality, then something was terribly wrong. She knew that the night Shakey died, he must have seen the Dark Wolf in their den.

Kate had only seen the stone wall of their den, but when she put two and two together, she realized what he was really after that night. If it was coming to him in life and in the dream world and now it was happening to her, then who was to say they didn't have some kind of sickness? She didn't pick up any scent from the Dark Wolf, but she had definitely seen it in their den.

As the dawn receded and the sun rose over the mountains south of the Pack Den's facing, Kate's impatience only grew more. She growled, lying on the ground in wait for Humphrey to return. She began to feel sick, the kicking of her pups ever present. She hadn't eaten in hours, her pups obviously yearning for her food to go through her digestive system and allow them the nutrients to supplement them. It wouldn't be long now; her pups would be born within two to three weeks and she needed to make sure that they were cared for.

That also, however, meant that she had to ensure her safety, and if the Dark Wolf was haunting her, too, then her safety was at risk just as well as Humphrey's. She needed him to be here so they could find a new den closer-or preferably within-the Pack Den. If the Dark Wolf was actually real, then they were at risk and that meant that their pups were as well.

Finally, she saw the hunting patrol return. She looked at them expectantly, watching as Candu, Hutch, and three other wolves walked into the perimeter. She saw a grey male and walked towards him. She realized that it wasn't Humphrey, but an Alpha from the Eastern Pack. She'd seen him in Alpha School before, a quiet wolf named Ash. She disappointedly walked away. Her mind was hard at work trying to figure out where Humphrey was. There was always the possibility that he was on the border patrol, but they usually came in around the same time as the dawn hunt.

Kate walked up to Garth and Lily's den, hoping to see if they knew where Humphrey was. If he'd told anyone where he was going, the first wolves he'd tell his Pack Leaders. Certainly if he was going anywhere he'd have told them to inform Kate. She smiled at the thought, feeling as though she was finally going to be able to talk with her mate.

She looked into their den, calling out their names. She heard noise from the back, thinking that they were talking to someone. She padded inside, already knowing the interior of the den. After all, she had lived in the den for over a year and a half of her life. She rounded the corner to the inner den…and found Garth and Lily mating. Kate's jaw dropped and her eyes stung. She felt as though she was going to go blind by watching it. Kate had never run so fast in her life, bolting out of the den and out of sight of the mating Leader Wolves.

She gasped, shaking her head vigorously to wipe the horrific image out of her mind. Despite her attempts to think of something else, she still saw the image of them on the cave floor, still heard Lily's moans of ecstasy. She spat at the ground in disgust, wishing to be gone of the memory. Unfortunately for Kate, she was pretty sure that it was one of those traumatic experiences that would scar her mind for the rest of her life.

She walked over to her parents' den, hoping to talk to them about Humphrey's whereabouts. She thought of herself as a fool for believing that Humphrey would talk to Lily and Garth about where he was going. Despite his friendships with the two, he wasn't as close to them as he was with others. Humphrey was close friends with her father; Winston was the first he'd talk to if he was going anywhere, and she was determined to find out where her mate was.

"Mom? Dad?" Kate called. "Are you in here? Preferably not mating?"

"Kate!" Eve exclaimed happily as they rounded a corner. Winston yawned with tiredness, though Eve seemed to be in high, ecstatic spirits. "Why hello, sweetie! What brings you around here?"

"I was looking for Humphrey," Kate replied. "He wasn't in our den this morning and he's still not back yet. Do you know where he is?" Eve looked nervously at Winston. His eyes narrowed and he shook his head to her. Kate looked at Eve suspiciously, growling at her. "What did you do with Humphrey, Mom?"

"Now, Kate," Eve said calmly. "We just need to talk with-" She didn't have a chance to finish her sentence, Kate slamming her to the ground. Kate pressed her paw on Eve's chest, sheathing and unsheathing her claws and snarling down at her. Winston stared at them in shock.

"What did you do with him?" She snarled viciously.

"Kate, get off!" Winston commanded. "Your mother didn't do anything to Humphrey, and I can tell you where he is, alright? Just get off!" Kate growled and stepped off of her. Eve pulled herself up, Kate glaring at her mother.

Eve had a hurt look in her eyes, Kate growling at her. Winston walked out of the den, beckoning Kate out with him. She followed him out, hoping to get answers. Kate walked out with him, observing the scenery as they walked to Kate and Humphrey's den. Winston walked inside, sitting down. She sat across from him, glaring at Winston. He looked at the ground in silence.

"Care to explain?" Kate asked hotly. "Or did you just want to look at the structure of our den?"

"I talked to Humphrey late last night," he said. "I was coming back from the river after getting a drink and ran into him outside of the Pack Den."

"What was he doing back there that late?" Kate asked him curiously. "There River Border winds back less than a mile away from here, why would he be going to the Eastern Territory?"

"He told me about his dreams," Winston said. Kate's eyes widened. "He said that the Dark Wolf told him to 'Discover the Truth of the Heart.' He decided to go looking for it and I encouraged it; the dream seemed important and he said he'd be back soon."

"You mean to tell me," Kate snarled. "That you let my mate go on a wild dream-chase to find something that doesn't exist? What the fuck were you thinking?"

"The place exists," Winston told her determinedly. "The Dark Wolf was talking about the Dark Heart of Jasper, just beyond the Eastern Territory. I could tell that Humphrey was being tormented by them and knew that if he could make it through the East, then he could figure it out. It sounded important and he's determined to protect you by figuring this thing out."

"What about the Longfangs?" She demanded. "You heard that they were moving into the East!"

"Those are simply rumors," Winston replied. "The Eastern wolves would tell us that just to scare us; besides, you don't even know what the Longfangs look like. I don't know and no one else in the pack knows either. Look, Humphrey is more than just any Omega, and you have to understand that, alright?"

"I understand that, but _you_ have to realize that Humphrey isn't cut out for survival! When we were wolfnapped, Humphrey screwed up a lot. I mean a _lot_. He helped out; definitely he helped out, but come on, Dad! He can't just go out there on his own!"

"He can take care of himself, Kate!" Winston snarled. He sighed. "Look, you told me the few times that you were in danger when you were wolfnapped, but your mother and I felt strange when you were gone at specific times, like I could feel that you were in danger. Don't you think that with your emotional attachment to Humphrey that you'd know if something happened to him?"

Kate thought about it, not taking that into account. She hadn't felt as though anything bad had happened, only the emotional distress of being apart from him that she always seemed to fell when he wasn't there.

"I, I guess not," she replied.

"You have to put more faith into Humphrey," he said. "Look, I don't want you to try anything rash, I'm sure he'll be back soon. Do you understand?" She looked at him for a few moments and nodded. He smiled and walked away.

That was when Kate ran. She bolted into the forest towards a small grove of trees that Paddy and Marcel had stayed at when they visited Jasper last. Paddy had seen the young pintail that he'd dated in the past in that grove, and Kate had met her. The pintail's name was Iris, a quite erratic young bird that was crazy for Paddy. Humphrey and Kate had spent a good amount of time with the three birds, though Paddy wasn't exactly enjoying himself during that time.

"Iris!" Kate called. "Iris, are you here?" The young pintail flew down from above, landing in front of Kate with wide, excited eyes.

"Hey, Kate!" She exclaimed. "What's up? What's up, Kate? What brings you around here, Kate?"

"Remember that wolf, Humphrey?" She asked. "You know, my mate?"

"Oh, yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah! I remember him! Handsome young wolf and your little intercourse buddy that gave you a hard-"

"Yeah, yeah you got it," Kate said, cutting her off. "Look, he's gone into the Eastern Territory and I need Marcel and Paddy's help to find him but they're back in Sawtooth and it's too far of a journey for me to go and get them, so I need your help."

"NO!" Iris screeched. "No, no, no, no, no! I will not, I will not go on a wild goose and duck chase for your pup-maker buddy! Go find him yourself!"

"Iris, please," Kate pleaded. "I need him here right now, there's something going on that I need his help with now and I can't go looking for him, but Marcel and Paddy can!"

"I don't know, I, I, I, really just, I really just, don't know, just don't know, Miss Kate," Iris replied. Kate sighed, a tear falling from her eye. Then, she thought of something fool proof that would get Iris to cooperate. She smiled and looked at Iris.

"Okay," Kate said, walking away. "I guess you'll never find out what Paddy said about you." Iris bolted next to her, looking at her from the corner of her eye.

"What did he say about me?" Iris asked, suddenly intrigued.

"Oh, you know, just something about you being his entire world and meaning everything to him," Kate said, smiling at her. "You know, just that love stuff and a lot more, but I don't think you really care about all of that."

"Paddy said that about me?" Iris asked, incredulously and flattered.

"You bet," Kate said. "But oh well, I guess you can't really hear what else he said now." Iris flared her wings, a gleam in her eye.

"I'll be back in two days, tops!" Iris said, launching herself into the sky. She smiled at her as she flew away, heading back to her den. As she walked, two crimson eyes followed her.

**A/N: Well, here it is! Marcel and Paddy are coming back because of Iris' help and you can expect to see the story from a new point of view next chapter! Thanks to Alexander, imjustlikehumphrey, and humphreyandkate together for reviewing! I won't be able to update until Saturday because the next chapter is going to be pretty lengthy and my 17****th**** birthday is this Friday, so I'll have my hands tied for a while, but I hope you can wait a couple more days until then. Until next time!**

**-The Dishonored Wolf**


	18. Abandoning the West

"Now if any silly birds screw up this birdie," Marcel said, lining up the angle of his club. "I will make sure to whack the fiend upside the head!" A crowd of porcupines had gathered, their beady eyes watching Marcel intently as he prepared for the final stroke of the club. Having been fairly rusty with golfing since the wolves intruded on his last game over five moons ago, Marcel was quite focused on his ability to prove his golf skills were still on par with his full abilities.

Paddy watched from several meters away, leaning on his wooden golfing case. Three other wooden clubs rested inside, waiting to be used, but Marcel insisted on using the five-wooden club. Paddy disagreed with the decision, but he was confident in Marcel's abilities thus far. However, he did seem to be quite annoyed by other obstacles, expected or unexpected.

Marcel's eyes narrowed, his wings pulling back to swing the club. There was an apprehensive silence as he held the position, prepared to swing. His eyes darted back forth and then back down to the small stone ball. He closed his eyes, inhaling and then exhaling. His eyes locked with the ball, his entire body becoming one with the club. He calculated the force, velocity, trajectory, and all other factors involved in the swing and where the ball would fly. He half expected to see a young grey wolf accompanied by a young tawny she-wolf approaching him, but there was not any wolves in Sawtooth, and Marcel was counting on his golfing abilities score this final birdie and secure his winning streak.

In an instant, he swung down, his body acting as one fluent force as the club hit the ball. Every single individual factor that was needed to be in this one hit added up perfectly, the ball flying forward. It ricocheted off of trees and rocks, turning and curving on the terrain in a fluent motion, hitting a curved log and flying into the air. It curved downward, landing on the green and rolling quickly towards the hole. The friction on the ball quickly slowed it down until it was barely inching its way towards the hole.

Paddy's jaw clenched, his eyes darting around to ensure that no bird would come in to ruin the shot. The silence was almost painful, every second feeling like a small eternity as they waited for the ball to go into the hole. In finally reached the lip of the hole, leaning inside. The air was tense with hope and apprehension that Marcel's shot had been true. Finally, it fell lightly into the hole. Marcel's jaw dropped, stunned. The porcupines began to cheer ecstatically, Paddy praising his good friend.

Paddy happily walked to the scoreboard, tallying the last line he needed to break the world record for continuous birdies in one day. His previous attempt had been cut short the day that Kate and Humphrey had arrived in Sawtooth, forcing him to make a second attempt on this day, but he'd done it! He'd actually done it! Over fifteen continuous hours of perfectly executed birdies had led to this moment, and Marcel had done it perfectly!

"Splendid, sir!" Paddy exclaimed, hitting Marcel on the wing shoulder. "Outstanding job! I am truly honored to be in the presence of a true legend!"

"I," Marcel began. "I, I don't know what to do now, Paddy. I have done the one thing I spent years working towards, and now that it's finished, I am at a loss as to what I should do next!" Suddenly, something hit Marcel in the head. His eyes rolled back and he hit the ground with a thud. Paddy looked in shock as the young, silver-feathered female pintail fluttered down and embraced him. She was saying something to him, but she was squeezing him too hard for him to understand anything that she was saying.

Finally, she let go and Paddy could breathe again. He walked to Marcel and helped his blundering friend up. A large bruise appeared on Marcel's head.

"Oh my," Marcel wheezed. "That was a hard hit." He noticed Iris standing there, watching them, and then looked at Paddy. "Paddy, why is the crazy she-duck here? Are we dead?"

"Fortunately for you, no!" Iris exclaimed.

"Oh, yes," Paddy groaned sarcastically. "We're _so_ fortunate."

"What are you doing here, Miss Iris?" Marcel inquired peacefully.

"Miss Kate told me about some things that Paddy said about me," the two looked at each other nervously, prepared to fly away as fast as they could. If Kate told Iris about the horrible things the two golfing fowl had said about her, then there would be no end to Iris' wrath. "Some very sweet and touching things."

Marcel shot a look at Paddy, obviously confused. Paddy shrugged, equally bewildered by the statement. He didn't remember every saying anything nice about the crazed duck, much less to Kate, Humphrey, or any of the other wolves of Jasper.

"What are you talking about?" Paddy questioned.

"Oh, you know," she teased, winking at him. Marcel and Paddy were incredibly bewildered, unable to understand what she was talking about. "However, Miss Kate _did_ ask me to retrieve you two for something very important!

"What is it?" Marcel asked. Iris was about to respond, but she seemed to have forgotten. She paced about, hitting her head in frustration as she tried to recall what Kate had told her to come there for. It was important…it was about her 'Harder and Faster' mate…why couldn't she remember what Kate told her to do?

She growled and slammed her head on a tree. Marcel and Paddy tried their hardest to keep straight expressions as they watched her smash her head on the tree. They were amused by the sight, happily watching her hurt herself. As demonic as it was to think of that in a good way, neither one of them liked Iris, and to see her do physical damage to herself was a great way for them to gain something out of her crazed torture she'd put them through in the past years.

"AHA!" She exclaimed. "I remember!"

"Oh, joy," Paddy grumbled. "We were really getting used to you being quiet for once."

"Humphrey went to something and Kate needs you two to find him!" She said.

"Right, I'm sure she was just overreacting," Marcel dismissed, he and Paddy collecting his ball and club, beginning to walk away. "All females are like that, always overreacting when their mates are gone for an hour or so."

"She said something about a heart that's really dark," she said. "Or maybe it was a dark that was really heart…hm…maybe she said he was going to the Heart Dark! Or maybe it was the Dark Heart!" Marcel and Paddy froze in place, dropping everything that they were carrying. They spun around and rushed to Iris.

"Did you just say what I think you just said?" Paddy asked.

"Please, please tell us we're having a horrible nightmare!" Marcel pleaded. "Did you really just say that our young grey friend went to the Dark Heart?"

"What did I say?" Iris asked. Paddy and Marcel looked at each other in worry, paying no mind to Iris. The way from Sawtooth to Jasper was faster if they cut through the Dark Heart and over the Eastern Territory, but they never dared to do so, knowing full well the danger that they would face if they went in. The Dark Heart was known as the heart of Jasper, but it had been changed in the past six years, no longer the beautiful, peaceful forest that it used to be. Yet if they were to reach Kate and find Humphrey quickly, they would have to go through the Dark Heart.

"We have to go help, sir," Paddy said. "No matter what danger is over there, we can't just allow him to die in there! He doesn't know what he's up against!"

"And what good will we do if we die in the process?" Marcel stammered. "Those wolves probably have no idea what's in there; it could kill all of them! We have to warn the wolves that we can save, not the ones that are a lost cause!"

"Kate entrusted our help to find Humphrey," Paddy said, planting his foot down. "I will not tell her we left her mate to die!"

"She is pregnant, Paddy," Marcel said. "If we don't get her out of there, then she and her unborn pups will die. Do you think Humphrey would want that?"

"I think Humphrey would want to save his pack himself, as well as see Kate and her pups," Paddy growled. "I'll fly with Iris back to Jasper and get him out of there. If you don't want to come help out friend, then so be it. Please, friend; I urge you to reconsider."

"Well," Marcel sighed. "It would be quite depressing if our little grey friend wasn't around to make his jokes anymore."

"Exactly!" Paddy reaffirmed. "Which is why we need to go and help him!"

"You know, Paddy; you are right!" Marcel said. "We do not leave our friends behind and we will not begin now! Let's be off!" The trio took flight, flying high into the bright afternoon sky. Knowing that the fastest way back from Idaho was through the Dark Heart land, they chose to not take the mountain pass and follow the train, but rather go the opposite direction. The Dark Heart would have allowed Kate and Humphrey to return to Jasper within only a day at the very most when they were relocated to Sawtooth, but Paddy and Marcel knew the danger of the Dark Heart and had them go the long way back as to avoid it.

They flew north over the rolling hills and plains, flying alongside the large mountain range that almost seemed to point the way there. The sun began to set, casting golden light across the mountains. Other flocks of birds noticed the three, their expressions bearing confusion as they witnessed the odd pairing of fowl. After all, the chances of seeing a duck, a pintail, and a goose flying together were slim at best.

It was morning before they finally were within ten miles of Jasper National Park. The forests and hills sprawled out in the massive expanse of wilderness, mountains jutting from the ground. Valleys and rivers, lakes and plains, woodland and hills covered the park as far as they eye could see. It was, indeed, a quite glorious sight to behold. Yet in the mid-southwestern region of the park was a dark area of land. The trees were dark, dark mist and smoke covering any sight of what was down below.

This was the Dark Heart of Jasper Park. They entered the southern end of Jasper, surveying what remained of the land. For almost thirty miles, the land was razed, all flora and fauna vacant or completely wiped out from the Darkness. The once-proud and revered Southern Pack was annihilated there, all living creatures wiped out in less than a full hour. It still left Marcel and Paddy pondering how the rest of the park had managed to evade the same fate that the South had suffered, but at the same time, it was clear that Jasper Park was no longer safe from the Dark Heart.

The Dark Heart wasn't always so terrible; it was originally named 'The Dark Heart' due to its thick undergrowth and tree cover, yet the beauty and majesty of the forest of the Dark Heart was unparalleled by any other forest that Marcel and Paddy had ever had the pleasure of seeing. That all changed two years ago when they came and turned the Dark Heart into the horrible place it was now. They brought their monsters, the Longfangs, with them, allowing them to hunt anything they so choose in the dead of night. Marcel and Paddy never dared to take rest within twenty miles of the Dark Heart.

Suddenly, three massive, angular objects roared merely twenty meters above them. They flew out of control, spiraling about and crashing into each other. They finally regained their stability hovered, watching the angular things fly off into the Dark Heart. They were like massive birds, things of the likes that Marcel and Paddy had never seen before. Two luminescent lights glowed from the back of the creatures as they roared away. They quickly disappeared into the shadowy darkness of the Dark Heart.

Marcel's eyes narrowed as he watched them go. Paddy was shocked by the encounter, Iris equally stunned and, for once, speechless. They began to fly in the direction of the Eastern Territory. They hovered above the dark, shadowy forest, searching for any sign of Humphrey. Fearing what they'd find, they quickly scanned several miles of the forest until they noticed about twenty of the angular creatures fly out of the Dark Heart and towards the Western Territory.

Paddy gasped in horror; Marcel's eyes widened as they watched them go. The three flew as fast as they could for the Western Territory. They had never seen the creatures anywhere save for the Dark Heart, but they all knew about what razed the South. Those creatures had torn it apart somehow, annihilating the land, making it completely unrecognizable. They had to get to the West and warn the wolves, or they would all die.

**Kate and Lily**

"I can't remember the last time we just talked together," Kate said wistfully as the two sisters padded peacefully through the forest. The sky was cloudy and grey, a light breeze in the air. Summer was beginning to end and Kate could feel that her pups would arrive soon. Her heart was lonely, longing for the companionship of Humphrey, each and every day waiting for his return. She would wait well into the night, hoping that Marcel, Paddy and Iris would return, flying over the trees, Humphrey following closely behind them, his loving smile greeting her.

She had howled for him, spending many hours in the night at the Howling Mountain, singing her agony and loneliness into the night, hoping for a sign that Humphrey was out there. Several times in his absence, she found herself angry at him, threatening to tear out his throat when he returned. She would look at herself, horrified at the things she said about Humphrey, and then think of herself as becoming another version of her mother.

Lily had been Kate's talking companion throughout his absence the past two days, the two taking walks through the forest while Garth ran everything single-pawed so the two sisters could forget about their ranks and duties to the New Pack simply to have fun and be sisters again. They had friendly talks and Lily's Omega spirit returned when in the presence of her sister. Despite Lily's assertion of power and taking-on of the roles requested and demanded of a Leader She-Wolf, Lily's heart had not deterred from the Omega she always was.

The day earlier, Kate had been walking with Lily when she underwent incredible pain, collapsing on the ground. She thought for sure that she was giving birth, Lily retrieving Eve and ready to help in any way she could to help Kate deliver her pups. A small crowd of wolves had formed several meters away to see Kate's pups, but it turned out to be false labor. Eve told Kate to not feel embarrassed by the scene she had caused, telling her that false labor was common amongst she-wolves. Kate was relieved that her pups were not delivered, wanting Humphrey to be there so he could see them born. It wouldn't be long now; Kate was expecting to deliver the pups within the week. It wasn't a matter of moons anymore, but a matter of days.

Kate was kept awake at night, apprehensive and anxious of giving birth. She was terrified of the pain she knew that she would undergo from the climactic forces within her as she gave birth, and consulted Eve several times in piteous desperation. Eve would laugh heartily and tell her that she was worrying too much, assuring her that despite the risks of every pregnant she-wolf, that the amount of times a problem occurred were slim at best. It reassured Kate when her mother told her that she would do perfectly fine; still, it did keep her from getting a good night's sleep.

She hadn't seen the Dark Wolf since she moved closer to the Pack Den. She took that well, expecting that Humphrey had fixed whatever was wrong and was returning. She felt reassured by the fact that the Dark Wolf hadn't returned and anticipated his return. Despite how happy she would be, she was positive that her anger would match that of her happiness. To say the least, she'd be having a heated talk with Humphrey when he came back.

"Yeah," Lily agreed. "I've been so caught up in my responsibilities that I haven't had time to just have some fun for once."

"So, what's it like being a Leader?" Kate inquired, interested in what she was feeling from the experience.

"It's not nearly as fun as you'd think," Lily told her exasperatedly. "Wolves are always complaining about things. 'This wolf did this!' 'This wolf did that!' 'I didn't get to eat because of this!' 'You need to fix that!' It's so annoying! I don't know how Mom and Dad managed to be Pack Leaders for so long and not be driven insane! Which reminds me, maybe you and Humphrey should be Pack Leaders; you'd probably do better than us."

"I think we'll pass," Kate replied with a laugh. "I think I'm happy just being and Alpha and he's happy just being an Omega. Leader Wolves aren't what we're going for." Suddenly, they heard a roaring sound overhead. They looked up curiously, watching as many angular things that looked like birds flew overhead. They followed their course curiously watching them go. They returned to the Pack Den, surveying the valley.

All of the wolves looked out over the valley, the hunting groups trying to catch the caribou down below distracted by the sound of the angular creatures. They flew over the valley and into the forest before circling back. They all formed about, their large grey beaks pointed down towards the valley. Suddenly, bright orange light flashed from their faces, striking the caribou. Dust and blood flew into the air, severed caribou limbs flying about.

The rest of the heard panicked and ran the opposite direction, trampling the wolves trying to hunt them. They were crushed, their bodies battered and mutilated as the caribou tried to escape the carnage of the angular birds. The wolves screamed in horror at the terrible sight. The birds flew off, circled back, and did the same thing to the caribou.

Suddenly, Marcel, Paddy and Iris flew down to them.

"Marcel, Paddy!" Kate called. She ran up to the wheezing birds. "What's going on?"

"We have to go, now!" Marcel cried. "Everyone, go! Unless you want to die right now, get out of here! The territory is lost!" The wolves did not need direction from the birds to know that whatever the angular creatures were, they were able to kill quickly and horribly. The wolves turned tail, looking towards the opposite direction, and then they ran.

**A/N: There it is, everyone! Sorry for not updating until now, I was caught up in birthday events! I got a new amp for my guitar, two new Three Days Grace albums and a Linkin Park album, some badass new running shoes, a book called World War Z, and over $300 (in US Currency)! To say the least, my birthday was kickass! Definitely worth it!**

**Thanks to imjustlikehumphrey, humphreyandkate together, and Alexander for reviewing my last chapter! The next chapter will return to Humphrey and Scourge's story and we'll get a good look at the Longfangs as they get closer to what's really in the Dark Heart! What were the angular things that attacked the West and razed the South, wiping out over thirty miles of forest and life? Well, if you still don't know, you're going to find out as the coming darkness unfolds! Until next time!**

**-The Dishonored Wolf**

**P.S. If you haven't checked out humphreyandkate together's new story, make sure to go do that! It's getting really good (as usual) and I'm sure you'll all enjoy it as much as I am!**


	19. The Dark Heart

"Get down," Scourge hissed. "They'll kill you if they catch your scent." Humphrey's curiosity had gotten the better of him and he had crawled to the edge of the cave, looking through the rain to the bottom of the gorge where the creature had leapt down to. He saw a pale form moving below; it was furless, a horrid creature of the likes that Humphrey had never seen or heard of before.

Its flesh was pale, its scrawny body accompanied by long, muscular limbs. Massive claws scraped the ground from its paws. It had a long, serpentine tail and a hideously deformed face. The face was mostly flat save for a short muzzle. The creature itself was larger than a Kodiak bear, but slender like a starved coyote. Two long fangs jutted down from the top of its maw, two smaller fangs jutting from the bottom, both over the opposite lip. The longest fangs were around the same size as an average wolf tail, the smaller ones around the size of a month-old pup from nose to tail tip. Two massive ears jutted from its head, its large nose flaring as it scented.

It parted its jaws, showing two four rows of glistening fangs. Scourge and Humphrey slunk further into the cave as to avoid its scenting. Humphrey watched the creature as it turned about, continuously scenting. When it faced them, Humphrey caught a disturbing part of the creature. It did not possess eyes, simply small indentations of skin where the eyes should have been. It tilted its head into the sky and made the eerie howl that they'd heard earlier, confirming Humphrey's suspicion that this creature was what Scourge called a 'Longfang.'

Several more howls were returned across the territory. More Longfangs leapt into the gorge, joining the first. One of them carried the struggling form of a wolf in its jaws. Humphrey's eyes widened when he realized that the wolf was Mooch. He growled and clawed at the Longfang holding him, but it did nothing to faze the creature. Humphrey began to move forward, intent on saving his friend. Scourge, however, slammed him to the ground. Humphrey glared at him, but Scourge shook his head; there was no point.

The Longfang took Mooch and smashed him on the rock ground. It took just one hit for Mooch's head to crack open like an egg, the skull caving in and blood spurting onto the ground. That was when the Longfangs pounced. They fought over Mooch's body, tearing and shredding his body, feasting on every scrap of matter that made up his body. Humphrey could only watch hopelessly as Mooch was torn limb from bloody limb and swallowed into the gullets of the Longfangs. They lapped the blood from the rain soaked ground, howling into the night after their prey was finished off. They ran off into the forest, leaving little behind of Mooch. There was no blood, fur, flesh, or organs, simply picked bones. Small holes on the bones meant that the Longfangs had drunk the marrow from the bones. They had eaten everything, leaving only a skeleton.

Humphrey stumbled to the back of the den, tears falling from his eyes. First Shakey died, and now Mooch? No, there were too many deaths already. He collapsed to the ground, crying. Scourge padded up to him, looking back out of the cave towards the place the Longfangs had just been. He looked down on Humphrey, sympathetic of the poor wolf that had lost another friend to a monster. Scourge had lost friends to the paws of the Longfangs as well, though that amount was unparalleled to what wiped out over thirty miles of Southern Jasper.

"I'll kill them," Humphrey growled as he sobbed. He scratched his claws on the stone ground, tears blurring his vision. "I'll kill them all!"

"Twenty wolves of my pack attacked one with the intent on killing it," Scourge replied. "Only one came back, dragging himself back; the Longfang had torn off his hind legs. He didn't last long after that, only to tell us that he failed at his attempt to kill the Longfang. If twenty of our best wolves couldn't kill one of them, then what makes you think that you could kill all of them single pawed?"

Humphrey didn't respond, glaring bitterly into the back of the den. Scourge was right; if twenty wolves couldn't kill one, Humphrey certainly couldn't. After all, a Longfang and a Mad Wolf were very different. Humphrey could kill, there was doubt of it, but Longfangs were something that nothing seemed to be capable of killing. The rain subsided, the moon shining into the gorge. Scourge fell asleep fairly quickly, but Humphrey found that sleep was impossible on this night. The demonic howls of the Longfangs kept him awake throughout the darkness of the night.

He had a sudden, heart-wrenching longing for Kate to be with him. He knew that would never be, however; he couldn't put her in danger by taking her with him. He wondered what life was like for her without him there. They hadn't been apart since the day she returned from Alpha School, seeing each other every day since that time. His thoughts drifted away from the terror of the Longfangs and he recalled their journey home from Sawtooth, Idaho.

He remembered when they had unintentionally danced along to the human song when the two odd humans were around. He remembered Kate saving him from a human, and he remembered how he returned the favor when she was about to fall to her death in the river gorge. They had saved each other countless times during the course of their near three day journey back home, and Kate told him she was still forever in Humphrey's debt for saving her life twice when they returned. He would laugh and tell her that she wasn't in his debt and tell her he'd die for her. Then, he asked her what she meant by saving her twice in Jasper.

"You saved me from a life without you," she had replied with a loving smile. Humphrey smiled and the two had gone log sledding that day with Lily and Garth. Garth had been scared to death whereas Humphrey, Kate, and Lily had all had an outstanding time. Humphrey held it against Garth to see him hyperventilating for hours after the log sledding ride.

Humphrey recalled the train ride when that night, his heart warming and beating harder in his chest at the memory of his first howl with Kate. Her voice and his voice had intermingled, becoming one beautiful howl as they sang together. It was at that moment when they realized their howls matched that they were meant to be together, and together they had remained since.

He remembered the hurt of realizing that Kate was to be mates with Garth, the pain that clenched his heart and tore it to pieces when he said goodbye to Kate for what he believed was the last time. When he leapt on the train, the memory of Kate was too painful. He knew not why he jumped off and ran back to Jasper; he knew now that it was a choice he'd never regret. When he saw Kate lying on the ground after being trampled by the caribou, his heart was wracked with grief. When she turned out to be alive, he admitted his love for her. A large smile grew on her face, her tail wagging fiercely. That was when she told him about her love for him, his heart fluttering and tail wagging viciously. They looked back at Kate's parents.

Winston smiled and nodded, Eve reluctantly doing so as well. They rubbed noses then, declaring themselves as mates in that instant, Garth and Lily doing the same. That night was one of Humphrey's most memorable aside from their first howl, when they had howled together on the peak of the Howling Mountain, singing their love to the heavens. Now Kate was going to have pups, Humphrey being their proud and happy father.

The happy memories flashed through the recesses of his mind in seconds, a tear falling from his eye as he smiled to himself in the cave. By the time they returned from the Dark Heart-assuming that they would-Kate's pus would be born within a few days. He was ecstatic about the ordeal, joy overcoming his senses when he realized that he would meet their pups soon enough. He fell into a happy sleep, dreaming of Kate, himself, and their beautiful pups.

_ "Mommy, Daddy!" A young, tawny pup yipped. Humphrey smiled, opening his eyes. He was lying in their den, Kate alongside him. They grinned at each other as four pups gathered in front of them, two grey, two tawny. The pups had large smiles on their faces, their tails wagging in happiness as they looked at their parents._

_ "What is it, pups?" Humphrey asked._

_ "We want to play!" One of the tawny she-pups barked. _

_ "Alright, Kala," Humphrey said to her. "Where do you all want to play?"_

_ "THE RIVER!" They all exclaimed in unison. Kate and Humphrey laughed as they rose to their paws sleepily. They complied to the request of their pups and led the way to the river through the short-grass plains. The male pups, both grey, were named Storm and Ryker, the tawny she-pups named Mhari and Kala. _

_ They sat by the river, watching their pups jump about and play with each other, tumbling about as they played their games. Mhari accidently hit Kala, tossing her into the river. Kala wailed in sadness as she crashed into the water._

_ Humphrey smiled and padded up to her, grabbing her by the scruff and bringing her onto the shore. She shivered and sniveled as Humphrey licked her fur dry. He looked down at his daughter, staring into her beautiful blue eyes, the eyes of her father. She got a mischievous look on her face and she pounced at his face, batting his nose with her paws. He recoiled with a hearty laugh. He smiled, leaning over and rubbing noses with her._

_ Her fur stood on end in surprise and she growled at him. Then, she was distracted by her playful siblings and bounded over to them to play. He laughed and rejoined Kate to watch their pups play. Kate leaned against him, burying her face in his scruff. He returned the affectionate embrace, keeping a watchful eye over their pups. They raced across the shoreline, pretending to hunt prey. Kala gave a sharp-toothed grin and kept low to the ground in a hunter's poise, ready to hunt. She leapt at Ryker, tackling her brother and keeping him to the ground. She placed a paw on his belly and tilted her head back to the sky, releasing a triumphant pup-howl. She would become a strong hunter like her mother, retaining the beauty that Kate had surely passed on to her. _

_ They smiled as they proudly watched their daughter do this, and then lick her brother, letting him up. The pups were all mesmerized by her abilities and begged for instruction. She smiled and began to teach her siblings how she had managed to take down Ryker, mentoring them in a similar fashion as Kate did to Humphrey._

_ Kate watched them, a tear falling from her eye. Humphrey asked her what was wrong and she responded, saying nothing was wrong. He frowned, knowing she was lying. Yet, she was smiling at them, tears falling from her eyes. He realized they were proud, happy tears._

_ "They're beautiful pups, Humphrey," she said as though she were in a trance. "They're our beautiful, perfect pups." He grinned and agreed with her. That was when she said something he wasn't expecting, something that chilled him to the core._

_ "It's too bad you killed them, Humphrey," she growled. "Them, and me as well." He looked at her, watching in horror as her fur fell away and fire erupted from within her. He fell back as the world around him turned dark, fire flying from large gouts in the earth. Her eyes turned crimson, her body turning into that of a Longfang, only her face staying the same. He gasped in fear, looking back to the river where he saw the four corpses of their pups. He began to sob in agony as he saw their torn, bloody bodies._

_ He looked back at Kate, and then he ran back to the Pack Den. He looked down into the valley, witnessing as large, angular birds cut down the caribou herds, wolves running away from the Pack Den. He tried to catch up to them, but his legs wouldn't respond, his movements slow and sluggish. He cried out to them, hoping one of them would hear him and turn back to help, but they ran off without him. The earth fell away and he stood amongst an ocean of magma. The stone bridge returned, leading him to the pillars that would take him to the Eastern territory and then, the Dark Heart. The bridge also extended behind him. _

_ Kate-or what was left of her-ran towards him. He panicked and sprinted towards the East, Kate rapidly gaining on him. He crashed into the trees of the East, running towards the Dark Heart. He saw Mad Wolves, Longfangs, and burning demon wolves chasing him the entire way there. The snarling of Kate behind him made him run faster, quickly trying to reach the light at the end where he knew the Dark Heart was. Suddenly, Kate leapt in front of him, snarling at him. Her crimson eyes glowed at him, saliva and blood dripping from her jaws._

_ "YOU MADE ME DIE!" She screamed._

Humphrey woke, looking around the den. Daylight streamed into the cave, gleaming off of the dark pelt of Scourge. He sat outside, looking at the sky. Humphrey stretched his tired limbs, walking up to him. They sat in silence next to each other, watching the daylight. The bones of Mooch were gone, the drag marks showing that they were moved sometime earlier.

"I put your friend amongst the others in the Leader's den," Scourge informed him. "We don't have the time to bury him, so that was the best I could do for him."

"His name was Mooch," Humphrey told him. "I've known him almost all of my life. Thanks for doing that, it means a lot." Scourge grunted and they looked out as the dawn transitioned into the morn, the sun warming their fur pleasantly.

"We have a lot of ground to cover and not a lot of time to cover it," Scourge said. "We can make it to the Dark Heart by nightfall and escape the Longfangs or we can spend another night in an old badger set I found about half way there."

"I had another nightmare last night," Humphrey said. "I think that the sooner we find what's in the Dark Heart, the better."

"Then get some water and a couple of the rabbits I caught us," Scourge told him. "Like I said before, you'll have to haul ass today if we're going to get to the Dark Heart by nightfall." Humphrey nodded and walked down, gulping down as much water as he could and devoured the rabbits. He joined Scourge at the entrance to the gorge and they began to run through the forest.

Humphrey felt different today; he had more energy, his mind cleared and his agility and stamina at their peak and beyond. He was exhilarated by the run and they ran forward at press-paw speed through the forest, making way for the end of the Eastern Territory and towards the entrance of the Dark Heart.

**Kate**

The Pack Den was not touched by the forces of the angular birds, but Garth and Lily insisted that the wolves stay far away from the Pack Den. The families of the hunting groups that were caught in the massacre pressed to go find them, hoping that they'd still be alive and able to be saved. However, they were quite stern with their regulations and refused to allow any wolves to risk heading into the valley. Strange, angular monsters rumbled into the valley, setting up odd structures and resting at the far end of the valley, leaving the crushed, mutilated remains of the caribou and wolf hunting groups in the valley. The valley was over thirteen miles long, the monsters stationing themselves at the last two, leaving over nine miles of valley for the New Pack to investigate, but Garth and Lily decided against it.

Kate was terrified of the instant and she felt her pups reacting to her extreme emotional differences. The stress was affecting the behavior of the pups; sometimes they would sporadically kick and she would feel incredibly hungry, other times they would be completely motionless and she would feel sick. She voiced her concerns to her mother, Eve tending to her daughter in an old abandoned badger set, feeding her herbs that were intended to sooth her and her unborn pups, calming down distressing emotions and anything that could cause problems inside of her that would affect her pups. It was a matter that Eve took very seriously, as any problem like this could lead to birth defects in a pup or even problems with giving birth that could lead to death.

Kate was not informed of this, however; that would simple make her anxiety and distress peak and cause more problems in the future. Kate began to feel better and could feel the random kicking of her pups throughout the day. She smiled and looked down at them, nosing her belly like Humphrey would do. The thought of Humphrey brought her depression back; she was lost without him, and the worry that something happened to her beloved mate in the event of the attack on the valley was ever present.

Marcel, Paddy, and Iris stayed with Kate for a while before Kate turned on their attempts to reassure her and snarled at them, telling them to find her mate. They gulped and did as she requested, flying off into the afternoon to find him. She cried to herself for several hours in the highlands that they were resting in. If anything happened to Humphrey, what would she do? She couldn't let anything happen to him; if he wasn't around to help her, then she would surely die of heartbreak.

The waning moon had risen again, the stars shimmering in the night. She longed for a full moon with Humphrey, wishing to howl with him again like they had on the train back to Jasper. She climbed atop a large hill that overlooked the Eastern forest. She noticed the dark mist shrouding the land beyond the East; she'd seen it before, but never thought much of it. Now she knew that it was the Dark Heart of Jasper. Humphrey was out there alone, and Kate was back with the New Pack, her loneliness taking hold of her.

She let loose a pained, heartsick howl into the night. She hoped that Humphrey would hear her song and howl back; she needed him now, she needed him to give her a sign, something that would ease her heartsick agony. She began to sing into the night, hoping beyond hope that Humphrey would hear and give her a sign.

**Dead star shine **

**Light up the sky **

**I'm all out of breath **

**My walls are closing in **

**Days go by **

**Give me a sign **

**Come back to the end **

**The shepherd of the damned **

**I can feel you falling away! **

**No longer the lost **

**No longer the same **

**And I can see you starting to break! **

**I'll keep you alive **

**If you show me the way! **

**Forever - and ever **

**The scars will remain! **

**I'm falling apart **

**Leave me here forever in the dark **

**Daylight dies **

**Blackout the sky **

**Does anyone care? **

**Is anybody there? **

**Take this life **

**Empty inside **

**I'm already dead **

**I'll rise to fall again **

**I can feel you falling away! **

**No longer the lost **

**No longer the same! **

**And I can see you starting to break! **

**I'll keep you alive **

**If you show me the way! **

**Forever - and ever **

**The scars will remain! **

**I'm falling apart **

**Leave me here forever in the dark **

**God help me I've come undone **

**Out of the light of the sun **

**God help me I've come undone **

**Out of the light of the sun **

**I can feel you falling away! **

**No longer the lost! **

**No longer the same!**

**And I can see you starting to break! **

**I'll keep you alive **

**If you show me the way!**

**Forever - and ever **

**The scars will remain!**

**Give me a sign **

_**There's something buried in the words **_

**Give me a sign **

_**Your tears are adding to the flood **_

**Just give me a sign! **

_**There's something buried in the words **_

**Give me a sign! **

_**Your tears are adding to the flood **_

**Just give me a sign! **

_**There's something buried in the words **_

**Give me a sign! **

_**Your tears are adding to the flood **_

**Forever - and ever **

**The scars will remain! **

Kate ended her howl and sat down, waiting for a response. Tears fell from her eyes as she waited for the howl of her love, prepared to wait for the whole of the night if need be. She needed Humphrey to howl back. _Please, Humph,_ Kate thought out. _Please howl back. I need you, my love. I need you._

**Humphrey**

Humphrey and Scourge had slowed to a trot as they continued through the endless miles of Eastern Territory. They had covered much ground, over three times as much as the previous day. Scourge was impressed with Humphrey's performance as they made way to the Dark Heart. They panted heavily as they made their way through the trees, beginning to leave the Eastern Forest behind.

The two wolves were perplexed by recent events of the day; they had seen the angular bird creatures fly above towards the Western Territory. Scourge had growled deeply at the evil things, glaring at them as they flew away. Humphrey had never seen them before, yet twenty of them had just gone past. He asked Scourge what was wrong, but he refused to answer Humphrey as the angular birds flew away. The leaves of the trees shook off, the forest reacting to the wake of the creatures.

Whatever they were, Humphrey knew that they had originated from the Dark Heart. He was confident that they could stop whatever was going on in there and save the New Pack. Humphrey was prepared to do whatever was needed to protect Kate and his pups. The sun was setting, so they quickened their pace as the orange light glared through the dark silhouetted trees. Suddenly, they heard the demonic, vicious howls of the Longfangs behind them. They had woken from their daylight slumber, and now they were ready to hunt and feed. They were hungry for blood, and Humphrey and Scourge were right in their wake. They sprinted forward, doing their best to get out of the forest before the Longfangs caught up to them.

They could hear the heavy, labored panting of the monsters behind them as they made their harried escape from the Eastern Territory. Humphrey spared a glance back, terrified to see the lumbering forms of several Longfangs chasing them. He received a massive adrenaline rush, his heart pounding in his chest; he felt as though it would burst out of him. His blood ran cold in his veins as they ran forward, trying their best to get away from the Longfangs.

They finally broke the tree line and entered a large field surrounded by tree-covered mountains. Still, the Longfangs chased them. Scourge's eyes were filled with desperation and wild fear as they ran away from the monsters. The sporadic howls and blood-curdling snarls behind them reminded them of the danger, encouraging them to run faster.

They saw a semi-narrow trench up ahead, and did the unthinkable: without hesitation, they leapt from their side to the other, knowing that death by a perilous fall was far preferable compared to death by the Longfangs. Scourge landed safely on the other side, but Humphrey only got his forepaws to the other side. He sank his claws into the earth, hanging on desperately as he began to slip down. Scourge saw him and grabbed his scruff, hauling him up. Humphrey collapsed, gasping for air. He gave Scourge a grateful nod, Scourge dipping his head in welcome. They looked back at the Longfangs, watching as the hideous creatures snarled and howled at them from the other end of the gorge.

"Why aren't they jumping?" Humphrey asked. "We made it, why aren't they still chasing us?"

"They're formidable, but that doesn't make them any less stupid," Scourge replied. "They can't see, they only rely on their senses of smell, hearing, touch, and taste. They can feel the gap in the ground, but can't tell how far it is. For all they know, we fell down and died." Humphrey nodded in understanding. They watched as the Longfangs lumbered back into the forest. The two traveling wolves turned and looked back at the dark mist enshrouding the inner forest beyond the mountains.

The Dark Heart was waiting for them, its shadowy tendrils reaching out to them, beckoning them into the darkness. They began to calmly pad up a large hill to that would take them into the Dark Heart when Humphrey's ears pricked. He could hear a howl in the distance. He grinned and looked back in the direction of the west across the expansive plains to his right. He was a bit curious as to why the howl was coming from several miles outside of the Western Pack Den, but he didn't care; he knew that howl anywhere. His heart raced, his blood chilled, sending shivers down his spine. Kate's howl was the most beautiful sound he'd ever heard, and he could hear her mournful, agonized howl, begging for him to give her a sign.

He tilted his head back and returned the howl, singing an appropriate melody for her. She needed to know that he was still there and dealing with as much pain and agony as she was. He gave her the sign she desired.

**I have nothing left to give**

**I have found the perfect end**

**You were made to make it hurt**

**Disappear into the dirt**

**Carry me to heaven's arms**

**Light the way and let me go**

**Take the time to take my breath**

**I will end where I began**

**And I will find the enemy within**

**Cause I can feel it crawl beneath my skin**

**Dear Agony!**

**Just let go of me!**

**Suffer slowly**

**Is this the way it's gotta be?**

**Dear Agony!**

**Suddenly**

**The lights go out**

**Let forever**

**Drag me down**

**I will fight for one last breath**

**I will fight until the end**

**And I will find the enemy within**

**Cause I can feel it crawl beneath my skin**

**Dear Agony!**

**Just let go of me**

**Suffer slowly**

**Is this the way it's gotta be?**

**Don't bury me!**

**Faceless enemy!**

**I'm so sorry**

**Is this the way it's gotta be?**

**Dear Agony!**

**Leave me alone**

**God let me go**

**I'm blue and cold!**

**Black sky will burn**

**Love pull me down**

**Hate lift me up**

**Just turn around**

**There's nothing left**

**Somewhere far beyond this world**

**I feel nothing anymore**

**Dear Agony!**

**Just let go of me!**

**Suffer slowly**

**Is this the way it's gotta be?**

**Don't bury me!**

**Faceless enemy!**

**I'm so sorry**

**Is this the way it's gotta be?**

**Dear Agony!**

**I feel nothing anymore **

He finished his howl, waiting for her response. She quickly howled back to him, signaling that she'd heard him. He smiled and the two sang together for a while before Humphrey told her he needed to go. She responded mournfully, but he reassured her that he'd return in another day or two, telling her that he was safe and almost at an end with his journey. The two reluctantly broke away from their communication and Humphrey turned to Scourge.

"You care about her a lot, don't you?" He asked.

"She's everything to me," Humphrey replied. "I came hoping that I can stop what's going on in the Dark Heart and protect her."

"Humphrey, before we go in there," Scourge said, padding up to him. "You have to understand that we don't have the power to stop what's going on in there. No living being does. What's in there is what created the Longfangs, what created those angular birds that we saw earlier, and they're the reason I had to leave the Southern Pack and why the Eastern Pack had to leave their territory. Humphrey, I didn't just leave for nor reason; they destroyed everything in my territory. The only reason I was able to escape was because I was running to warn the other packs. I returned when I saw that the fire died down."

"Fire?" Humphrey asked, his mind drifting back to his nightmares. "What fire?"

"They razed the south, burning everything and everyone," Scourge said hollowly. His eyes were filled with pain. "The south is nothing but a wasteland now. They're dead and I'm alive, and I hate myself for surviving every day of my life. You have to see what's in there and realize that we have to leave Jasper."

"Leave?" Humphrey exclaimed aghast. "We can't just leave! This is our home!"

"Soon enough, Jasper won't be home to anyone except for the dead!" Scourge snarled. "Many will die unless you get there and see the proof you need to get the New Pack out of Jasper!" Humphrey glared at Scourge, not quite sure what to think of his response. If they couldn't stop what was in the Dark Heart, then what was the point of coming here? What danger could befall the New Pack and Jasper itself that they had to leave?

They silently walked into the dark forest, into the Heart of Jasper. This was where they'd find the Truth of the Heart, where Humphrey would learn why Sam had come to him and sent him those warnings. It was less than a mile into the forest when they began to hear strange noises and talking. It wasn't a language that Humphrey could understand, but he knew where words like those came from. They broke the tree line and looked into the darkness.

Hundreds-no, thousands-of humans stalked about, carrying their vicious weaponry that Humphrey had nearly become fatally familiar with back on their journey from Sawtooth. Large, armored monsters rolled about in the massive, make-shift clearing. The ground had been burnt away into stone, human camps scattered about. Large, angular birds lifted from further in, speeding towards the west. Small fires dotted the encampments as the humans paced about, ate, and killed off captured animals with their weapons.

Humphrey looked at Scourge in horror, seeing only sadness in his eyes. Humphrey asked him what this was all about, why the humans were here, but Scourge could only shake his head in agony and misery.

"They are at war with other humans," he replied. "Jasper is nothing but a battleground for their conflict. They created weapons to kill each other with, like those angular birds, the things they call 'fighter jets.' They kill each other from the sky and kill more below. The big monsters, things I hear them refer to as 'tanks' and 'Humvees,' they carry humans and destroy each other. Don't you see, Humphrey? They can't be stopped, and they made those Longfangs to help kill their enemies. They aren't hunting us, we're just in the way. Humphrey, they're going to destroy Jasper in this war. If we don't get everyone out, then you'll see just what happened to the south. This is the Truth of the Heart and why you're seeing fire in your dreams. This is only the beginning, Humphrey. We have to act now, or everyone in Jasper is going to die."

**End Act II: The Heart**

**A/N: Well, there you have it, the end of Act 2 and the beginning of the end, Act III! Well, now we have some answers as to what's going on in the Dark Heart and what's so bad about it! If Humphrey doesn't act fast and get everyone out, then wolves are going to die and it'll be on his paws. Or will Scourge be wrong? Is there a way to stop the humans' war from destroying Jasper? Is there a way to stop anyone from dying? Will I stop asking all of these rhetorical questions that you have no answers to but I do? FIND OUT IN THE NEXT CHAPTER! Thanks to Alexander, imjustlikehumphrey, and humphreyandkate together for reviewing my last chapter! Until next time!**

**-The Dishonored Wolf**


	20. Through the Iris - Part the Second

**Act III: Into the Darkness**

Humphrey and Scourge crept cautiously forward. Humvees rumbled past, tanks following closely behind as they traveled west in the direction of the Fighter Jets they had seen earlier. Humans were tinkering with their weird metal weapons, odd, mechanical sounds emitting from them as they did so. They dashed into an odd, triangular structure, hiding inside. It was made of some kind of light, soft material supported by metallic beams.

Everything was beginning to make sense to Humphrey now; his nightmares were all beginning to form a kind of logic, an understanding that made them all less vague and more straightforward. The angular birds that destroyed each other in the skies were the Fighter Jets, the humans firing at each other must have been those that were at war. The burning forest was what Scourge had been talking about; he said the humans razed the Southern Territory, and if that was true, then that meant that they would do the same with the rest of Jasper.

This was why Scourge had tried to tell someone; he wanted to prevent a similar tragedy from befalling other wolves that he'd been forced to deal with. Every second that they spent in the Dark Heart, Scourge seemed to become more and more on edge. His eyes darted about, he panted a bit more, and there was a look in his eyes; the look was that of pure, insatiable hatred. He sought vengeance on these humans that had used his home as a war zone. The dumb creatures probably didn't know that the wolves were there, nor did it seem that they knew there was anything living down below. There was also the possibility that they had no regard for any living thing in Jasper. Whatever the case, the idiotic, monstrous creatures were prepared and able to kill, and they had proven that they could and would.

_Wolf Killers,_ Sam whispered. He looked about, expecting to see the Dark Wolf standing nearby, but did not see him. Judging by Scourge's reaction, he heard Sam as well. They carefully poked their faces out from underneath the soft material and looked at a group of humans encircling a small, enclosed fir, all of them carrying weapons. There were three with pale skin, two with dark skin. Humphrey was still incredibly disturbed by the appearance of humans; how could they live when their only fur was on their heads? They had flat, useless teeth; how could they eat anything with them? He was still perplexed by their ability to casually walk about on their hind legs, as well as the shape and structure of their paws.

The hind paws were large with small, stubby things on the end that appeared to be useless. The forepaws had long tendrils branching from them, something that they seemed to put to use when picking things up. Their lack of claws made Humphrey wonder how they could even hunt; he supposed that was what their weapons were for. Their small ears and useless noses also seemed to impair them; if they couldn't hear or scent the air, they were practically blind, and their need to make fire to see in the darkness said a lot about their terrible eyesight.

The most disturbing aspect about the humans was their lack of tail. Wolves used their tail to express various emotions like fear, happiness, excitement, and sadness. They also used the tail to express dominance and leadership in roles of a pack; if a wolf held its tail high, then it was showing itself to be the dominant wolf, one that others must be submissive to such as a Leader Wolf. If humans had no tails, then how would they know who to be respectful towards as a leader? How would a human know if one was afraid, happy, sad, or excited? How the humans functioned as a species was beyond Humphrey, yet somehow they managed to create the things that they did as well as go to war with each other.

They listened to the humans' talk, the gibberish not making sense to them. Out of nowhere, they heard the voice of Sam whispering to them, translating the words that the humans used in wolf tongue.

"So are we moving out or what?" A pale one asked. "We've been sitting on our asses for months; let's get a fucking move on!"

"Shut the fuck up, DeMarco!" A dark one growled. "We'll go when we get orders."

"Intel ain't at its best these days, Sarge," one said to the second human. "We don't even know who we're fighting half of the time."

"We got three confirmed," the second dark one told him. "We got the Russian motha fuckas, the Chinese motha fuckas, and the Ukrainian motha fuckas. Do I need to fuck'n spell it out for yo, bitch? Russia, China, Ukraine; them are the motha fuckas we're fighting."

"So guys, check this," the fifth one, another pale human, spoke, leaning closer in. "I hear the Chinese and Russians got a new weapon they want to test out on us. Some new WMD or shit called the 'Black Weapon.'"

"Quit playing yo fuck'n Battlefield games, you stupid fuck!" The fourth shouted. "Black Weapon is from fuck'n Bad Company 2, cock sucka! You're just bullshitting us you ugly sack of fuck!"

"I'm serious man, come on!" He persisted. "It's some kind of fucking serious shit that's going to take out the freaking country or something."

"Which country?" The first asked. "The US or Canada?"

"Who gives a fuck?" The third said. "We just got to make sure they don't use it."

"So do we get to blow shit up like we did down south?" The fifth asked. Scourge's jaw clenched as he bit back a growl and held himself from the temptation to tear the human apart.

"Yeah, we get to tear some ass again," The second replied. "When we get orders, we'll move out and fuck shit in the ass and we'll be able to come home in no time and get some chicks to fuck in a whore house or something."

"You're a sick son of a bitch, Sarge," the first said. "But I like your mindset; I'll join in the search for that whore house if we make it out of here alive. I think I might die of 'sitting on your ass' syndrome."

The humans burst out laughing, Sam leaving them. Scourge and Humphrey escaped the human encampment and ran into the forest, looking back at them. Scourge glared menacingly at them, his claws sheathing and unsheathing in the earth. He growled and stalked about, Humphrey surveying the humans. The night had fallen over the Jasper and the Dark Heart, and they couldn't return the way they'd came; not with the Longfangs about.

Humphrey was shocked that the humans had created the Longfangs and asked Scourge how they did it; he refused to reply, but Sam quickly did.

_They experiment and develop the monsters_, he informed Humphrey. Humphrey still found it odd to refer to Sam as an actual living being, but at the same time, he couldn't think of anything appropriate to call him. _They create them and use them to kill their enemies because the Longfangs are so difficult to kill._

_How do you know that?_ Humphrey questioned.

_I've learned to listen,_ Sam replied.

_Is there a way to kill the Longfangs?_

_ Yes._

_ How do you kill them?_

_ I don't know._

_ Then how do you know that they can be killed?_

_ I just know._

Humphrey growled, angry with the response. If there was a way to kill the Longfangs, then why couldn't Sam tell him what it was? It didn't make sense to Humphrey, and it aggravated him that Sam wouldn't give him the straightforward he desired. However, he now knew that there was a way to directly communicate with Sam, and he knew that he was willing to help Humphrey and Scourge now that they knew the Truth of the Heart.

_Sam, can you join in a conversation here?_ Humphrey asked.

_Yes,_ Sam replied.

"Scourge, we need to talk," Humphrey said. The apparition of another wolf appeared, the dark furred and red-eyed Sam.

"What about?" Scourge growled.

"We have to think of a plan," Humphrey told him. "And I need answers to come up with a good one. Scourge, is there _any_ possible way to stop the humans?"

"No, there isn't any," he replied. "They come and do as they please. We don't have any power to stop them."

_Scourge speaks the truth,_ Sam replied. _It doesn't matter how determined you are, the humans are an evil, unstoppable force._

"Alright, now what's the US? I know what Canada is but I don't know what a US is, nor do I know what a Russia, China, and Ukraine are."

"They are countries," Scourge told him. "Think of them as really large territories for humans. Even Canada is a human territory, despite that they don't inhabit all of it. The US is where Idaho is; Russia, China, and Ukraine are over a large body of water called an ocean. Do you know what that is?"

"Yeah, I've heard of it before," he said, then glanced at Sam. "I think you've shown me a version of it."

_Indeed,_ Sam replied_. Though they are not made of lava, but of water, and they contain many large creatures inside of it. It is the one place that humans do not know much of._

"Can we go there?" Humphrey asked. "If Idaho is in the US and there're three territories against them, then that rules out the possibility of relocating everyone to Sawtooth. If the humans don't know much about the oceans, then would we be safe there?"

_No._ Sam said with a tone that left no room for disagreement. _That is where the other humans are coming in from to attack the humans here._

"So where can we go?" Humphrey asked, exasperatedly. "We don't know the land beyond Jasper, and if it's not safe here anymore, then we have to find a place to escape to."

_There is one place,_ Sam said._ A place I told your companion here about before the South was attacked._

"It doesn't exist!" Scourge snarled.

_Ah, but it does,_ Sam said, an amused smile spreading across his face. He didn't move his mouth when he spoke, words simply transmitted telepathically between the three._ I know that it exists, and I know how to find it. All wolves know how to find it by instinct._

"What is it?" Humphrey asked. "Where can we go?" They looked at Humphrey, Scourge scowling. He looked at the ground in fury as Sam began to reply.

_Have you ever heard of the Pack of the Winter Mountains?_ He asked. The name sent a chill through Humphrey; not a chill of fear, but a chill of knowing. He knew the name; every wolf knew of the legend of the Pack of the Winter Mountains. They were wolves that were said to live in the far north amongst the mountains where winter reigned supreme year round, yet in the Spring and Summer, once could simply migrate ten miles outside of the mountains and the weather would change into the typical season.

It was said that a pack of Arctic Wolves lived there; their fur pelts glowed with a brilliant radiance of pure snow white; they were the last pure descendants of the wolves' ancestor, the Dire Wolf. They were massive, almost twice the size of a normal wolf and bore similarities of the old Dire Wolves before that species went extinct, and they lived in peace in the mountains, waiting to accept any wolves when they were in a time of need.

Whenever danger inflicted a wolf or its pack, the natural instinct arose that would guide them to the safety of the mountains where the Pack of the Winter Mountains would give them protection and safety. The story of the wolves in the North had fallen into nothing but a legend that was passed down as a line of heritage from wolf to pup every with every generation. The Pack of the Winter Mountains was said to be a myth, yet when one was in need, they would be there to guide a wolf to safety and prosperity.

"Yeah, yeah I've heard of it," Humphrey replied. "Why?"

"He wants us to go find them," Scourge growled. "He's insane; the Pack of the Winter Mountains doesn't exist, and if they did, then they're all gone by now. It's nothing but an old tale that we tell the pups to get them to sleep."

_His faith is weak,_ Sam observed. Scourge shot him a glare. _Even if they didn't exist, would it not be a good idea to move north, away from the danger?_

"No, no it wouldn't!" He snarled. "I told my pack that we had to find the Pack of the Winter Mountains and they laughed at me, refusing to believe there was any danger aside from the Longfangs and now look at what happened! They're all dead! If we go in and tell the New Pack that they have to find something that doesn't exist, then they'll never listen and all end up dead!"

_ Then we won't tell them until we've moved them out of Jasper,_ Sam said, eyeing Scourge. _Then, it'll be too late for them to go back and we can move them away from the danger. No harm will be done in moving them away to go find the Pack of the Winter Mountains. They can offer the wolves protection and safety, caring and prosperity, food and water, shelter and purpose! Is this not what all wolves desire and deserve?_

"I agree with Sam," Humphrey spoke. Scourge glared at him in shock. "If we can at least get a shot at getting them north, then we can succeed in getting them out of danger. Even if the Pack doesn't exist, it's worth a shot to get up there."

Scourge looked down and sighed in defeat; he couldn't convince Humphrey that it was a mistake trying to get the wolves to find a myth, but he had to admit that getting north could very well save the lives of over one hundred wolves. Suddenly, they heard a call from above. They looked up, Sam dissipating into the air. Three shapes spun down and crashed into Humphrey, knocking him on his back.

"Why hello, monsieur!" Marcel exclaimed. "We didn't expect you to be this far into the Dark Heart, yet here you are!"

"What are you guys doing here?" Humphrey asked, smiling at his friends, though he was surprised to see that Iris had accompanied them as well.

"Miss Kate requested that we find you and bring you home!" Paddy informed him.

"Yes, she was quite worried that you had been hurt in the wake of the attack!" Marcel said.

"Wait, what?" Humphrey asked, jumping to his paws. "What do you mean? What attack? What happened back there?"

"The humans have arrived, and they seem to have taken out most of the caribou population," Paddy replied. "The New Pack moved back into the highlands, but nothing seems to have happened to the Pack den yet."

"Was anyone hurt?" Humphrey asked worriedly. "How's Kate? Has she given birth yet?"

"Calm down, monsieur!" Marcel exclaimed. "A few wolves died in the attack but Kate is quite fine, her family is comforting her right now. She hadn't given birth yet, but judging by her size, it's just a matter of days before she does!"

"We have to get the New Pack out of here," Humphrey told them. "We have to get them north as fast as we can before what happened in the south happens to us, too."

"We understand, sir!" Paddy said. "We'll help you out, no problem!"

"Actually, there is a bit of a problem," Iris said. "Who's the mister dark-and-scary wolf with you?" Paddy and Marcel took notice of Scourge and leapt in alarm, standing beside Humphrey. He laughed at their reactions.

"Guys, it's alright, he's a friend," Humphrey reassured them. "His name is Scourge."

"Quite an odd name for a friend, if I would say so myself," Paddy said fearfully. They shakily came out from hiding and looked at Scourge.

"I haven't seen many wolves that look as terrifying as you do," Marcel said.

"I haven't seen many snacks associating themselves with wolves, either," Scourge growled. "You don't eat them, I take it?"

"No, they're friends," Humphrey replied.

"Well, the humans seem to be jumpy so I think we should get out of here, too!" Iris said. Several humans were shouting and pointing at them, raising their weapons. They had been spotted!

They began to run as soon as the loud, ear-splitting cracks of their weapons began, white and orange flashes flying around them, barely missing them. Just as they were about to go into the path that would take them out of the Dark Heart, one of the orange things hit Paddy. He squawked in sheer agony.

Humphrey ran back and picked him up, carrying him out of the Dark Heart. Once they broke the trees, they slowed and Humphrey lied Paddy on the ground. Blood was pouring out of a tear in his side. His eyes were wide and his breathing was labored. Humphrey pressed a paw on the bleeding wound as Iris and Marcel looked on in shock and horror. Scourge watched from a few meters away, a terrified look in his eyes. Humphrey could tell that he'd seen this happen before.

"Scourge, how do we help him?" Humphrey asked. "You know more about these things than I do, come on, you have to help!"

"There's nothing we can do, Humphrey," he said absently. "He's gone."

"NO!" Humphrey snarled. "He's not going to die! Paddy-Paddy hold on, alright? We're going to get you help!"

"H-h-he-he's right, sir," Paddy choked, blood coming from his mouth. "Leave me, sir, I-I-I-I'll j-j-just sl-slow you d-d-down."

"No, I've watched two of my closest friends die and I'm not going to let another die!" Humphrey growled, tears falling from his eyes and onto Paddy's bloodied feathers.

"It was an honor, sir," Paddy whispered, and his breathing stopped. His eyes stared off into space and Humphrey sobbed, drawing his paw over his face, closing his eyes. Marcel looked at his closest friend with a lost expression.

He took out a small golf ball and placed it next to him, then saluted his friend.

"I am sorry, my friend," Marcel whispered. "May you fly forever in the Great Sky." Humphrey took his bloody paw from Paddy's wound and bowed his head in respect and requiem to his friend. He didn't dare howl; that would only give away their position. The shouts of the humans from the forest told them that they needed to go. Humphrey and Marcel followed Scourge, tears falling from their eyes, sobbing as they escaped.

"Iris, come on!" Humphrey howled. "We have to go!" She was standing over the body of Paddy, her eyes glassy as she looked down at his body.

"I think I'll stay here," she muttered. It was too late to convince her otherwise and they ran back towards the East. Humphrey heard the crack of one of the human's weapons and he knew that Iris had been taken as well. He shut his eyes, seething in sadness as they left the Dark Heart behind.

**A/N: Well, there it is! The wolves now have a plan on where to evacuate the New Pack, but will they be able to convince them to leave? Is the Pack of the Winter Mountains real, or is it like Scourge said, nothing but a myth? Thanks to imjustlikehumphrey and humphreyandkate together for reviewing my last chapter (which by the way was the longest chapter in this story)! Also, I forgot to mention it but the songs used in the last chapter were "Give Me A Sign" and "Dear Agony" by Breaking Benjamin. I got some new music today, so I was listening to it while writing this chapter, which was no easy feat as I was trying to listen and write at the same time and the music is SO GOOD. Well, until next time!**

**-The Dishonored Wolf**


	21. The Betrayal

They burst through the trees, leaping over the river to the western territory. Humphrey never thought he'd truly love to see the West again; despite being gone only one day longer than he had when he and Kate were wolfnapped, he was relieved to be home again. When he had Kate were journeying home, he had no intention to return to Jasper, only to be with Kate. Now that he was back from the East, he felt whole again; perhaps it was due to his being able to be reunited with Kate once more. They stopped, collapsing on the ground, heaving in exhaustion.

Their breathing came in short, ragged rasps as they gasped for air. Marcel lay on his back, hyperventilating from his lack of air. The slightly overweight goose was in no shape to have flown so fast and so far for nearly thirty hours. When they had left the Dark Heart, they had narrowly escaped the danger of the Longfangs, twisting, weaving, and evading the beasts throughout the nights. Humphrey's heart thudded in his chest; even Scourge was having trouble breathing.

Humphrey stumbled into the river, letting the cool water soak into his fur. He panted heavily before padding out and shaking himself dry. They stood there for several minutes, regaining their breath and normal pulse rate. Eventually, they began to breathe normally and Marcel lifted himself from the hard earth.

Scourge looked expectantly at Humphrey, Marcel doing the same. It took him a moment to figure out that for the first time, they were looking to him to lead them. Humphrey had never led anyone or anything anywhere; he was momentarily lost as to what to do. Finally, he decided it best to return to the valley and see if the wolves had returned to the Pack Den or if there was proof that the humans had left it alone. If there was the chance that the humans weren't going to use the west as a battlefield, Humphrey wanted to make sure that it was seized. He didn't want to move the wolves away from their only home if it wasn't necessary.

He led them through the solitary forest, noticing for the first time that it was completely silent. There was always the sound of birds, bugs, and other animals scurrying about, but now, it was utterly quiet. The unnerving feeling of silence began to spread paranoia to Humphrey's mind and he quickened his pace through the forest, Scourge and Marcel following close behind. He saw random flashes of a dark wolf through the trees; Sam was coming with them as well.

They rushed forward, finally making it to the far end of Humphrey and Kate's clearing. He ran up the trail that led to the ledge that looked out over the valley, the very path Kate and Winston had walked when leaving for Alpha School. He leapt over a fallen log and skidded to a halt at the ledge overlooking the valley. Humphrey was met with a heart-stopping, horrific, ghastly sight as Scourge and Marcel joined him to look down into the valley.

The ground was littered with the corpses of hundreds of caribou. Blood and gore was scattered about, torn limbs shredded and thrown about. They walked down cautiously, the strong scent of death flooding Humphrey's senses. There was also another smell amongst it all, the smell of the discharged human weapons. Massive holes penetrated the corpses of the caribou; dried blood matted the fur of the caribou, their eyes rolled in the back of their heads. Not even the bugs dared to touch the carnage that had occurred here. Humphrey had seen this before; he'd seen the caribou with the holes in them, the rot and decay hanging in the air.

He led the way through, respectfully avoiding the bodies, though their paws were still treading through the blood stained ground. Marcel flew overhead, looking down sorrowfully at the massacre. There was an eerie stillness in area; there was no wind, no sound, no sun, just a cloudy day, the scent of rotten death hanging in the air. Marcel called over, standing beside a caribou. Humphrey and Scourge rushed over to see what Marcel had spotted. They gasped as they saw a wolf trapped underneath a dead caribou, struggling to get free.

They quickly shoved against the caribou, trying to help the wolf get out. The massive animal's weight was against them however, and the job was long and tedious as they tried to free the wolf. They pushed and heaved against the caribou, pushing it away as the wolf crawled out. Blood poured down as the wolf crawled out. Humphrey was perplexed as to where the blood was coming from, but he received his answer when he saw the newly freed wolf: its body had been severed down the middle, only leaving half of his torso, his forelegs, and his paws still attached. Scourge's eyes widened in shock and Marcel tried to keep himself from puking.

Humphrey stopped the survivor and turned him over onto his back, telling him to rest. The wolf's face was badly beaten and bloodied, many of his teeth shattered or missing from his mouth. His left paw was twisted backwards, the bone protruding from his flesh, yellow and purple flesh pulsing around the protruding shard of white. He coughed up blood and bits of his fangs. His left eye was missing, dried black liquid splattered across the side of his face, more of it crusted in the hollow socket.

"What happened here?" Humphrey asked him carefully. He heaved and spit more, bloody bits flying from his mouth and landing on his beaten chest.

"Birds," he gasped. "Birds killed the caribou and started a stampede. My hunting group and I, we-we were caught in it. I felt something cut i-into m-m-my back and then I fell, I couldn't move. Then the caribou fell on me and I've been trying to get free for days."

"Hasn't anyone come looking for you?" Scourge asked him, shocked that no one had come to his aide.

"No, and if anyone did, then they couldn't hear me crying out for help." Humphrey looked down in sorrow and pity for the poor wolf; he'd been reduced to nothing, trampled and shot by the humans, literally torn to pieces by their evil weapons. "Is there anyone else that survived?"

"We haven't seen anyone, no," Humphrey told him.

"My-my mate," he murmured. "Her name is Nicole. T-tell her…"

"Yeah?" Humphrey persisted as the wolf struggled for words.

"Tell her…" He looked at them, struggling to form words. Blood gurgled in his throat and his eyes went dull, glazing over with the look of death. Just before he died, he faintly whispered out his mate's name. Humphrey knew not who the wolf was, but a pang went through him when he saw the wolf die. He looked away, unable to look at another dead being. Scourge lifted his tail and drew it over the wolf's eyes, closing them.

He placed his paw in the blood and drew three lines down his forehead. He placed his paw on the chest of the wolf, closed his eyes, and murmured quietly in a language that Humphrey did not understand. Humphrey felt Marcel's wing brush against him, looking down at the dead wolf sadly. Humphrey hadn't heard Marcel speak a word since they left the Dark Heart; he couldn't even begin to fathom how Paddy's death had affected him. Humphrey nudged Marcel's head. Marcel looked at him, his old eyes bearing the look of pain and misery in them. Humphrey gave a reassuring smile to him, patting his back.

They departed from the carnage, leaving to the Pack Den. They went immediately to the large cave underneath it on the valley floor. If they had returned, the cave would be the first place they'd go to for safety. The cave was vacant, the stale trace of the pack lingering from the time of the Mad Wolf's arrival. They padded up the sloping hills and investigated the dens, making sure that no one had been left behind. Scattered food and small bones that were given to pups to play with had been scattered around the Pack Den, indicating that they'd left in a hurry. The scent was stale and old, meaning that the wolves had left the area many days ago.

Finally, Humphrey knew that he had to check one last place. He quickened his pace to a trot and went to the den he had shared with Kate. When they arrived, Humphrey told them to hang back. He clambered into the den, looking about. He scented the air, calling out to see if Kate was inside. There was no response from inside and the scent was even staler. When he turned around, he saw the flower he'd left for her there. Another flower had been left there crossing over his flower. He looked about the den; he'd lived in there since he was a pup, and when he and Kate became mates, he shared it with her and created new memories. He closed his eyes and inhaled the scent of their den. A tear leaked from his eye and dried into his fur. He blinked away the misery and left the den behind, joining Marcel and Scourge just outside.

They left the Pack den behind, going into the highlands where the wolves had sought refuge. Humphrey took one last look back at the rocks where their den was, then turned back. Unbeknownst to him, he would never look back at those rocks again.

**Two Hours Later**

It was dusk when they finally arrived in the large forest clearing that the New Pack had settled in. They cautiously made their way down the hills towards them, receiving wary looks from the wolves. Humphrey looked at them; their bodies had begun to grow thin, their matted fur hanging from their skeletal forms. Four days without much food had certainly taken its toll on the wolves. They glared at Humphrey as he led Scourge and Marcel into the clearing.

He saw mothers and fathers caring for their small pups; they were nothing more than small scraps of fur desperately trying to feed from their mothers' milk, but without food, they couldn't produce enough milk for the pups. They were beginning to shrink, their gaunt forms disturbing Humphrey. The poor pups were lying next to their parents, shivering as they fought for their lives. He knew how the other wolves must have seen them: they had left and caught enough food to keep themselves well-fed and healthy, but the New Pack was starving without the food they required. They despised Humphrey for leaving.

Salty and Sweets were laying together, their already-lean bodies becoming frail and weak from the lack of food. Salty opened his eyes and spotted Humphrey. He shakily rose to his paws and padded up to his friend.

"Humphrey, you came back," he rasped.

"Yeah, I did, Salty," Humphrey replied. "I had to find some answers."

"Mooch went missing, dude," he informed him. "I can't find him anywhere. I was hoping you saw him on your way back…"

"He's gone, Salty," Humphrey said, downcast. "He's gone." Salty looked down in sadness, nodding in grim understanding. Humphrey told him to go back with Sweets and he did, seeking the consonance of his new mate.

"Humphrey," a voice said. He turned to see Winston's old, frail form standing behind him.

"Father," Humphrey said. "I came back."

"So I see, and I'm glad," he replied with a smile. "I'm guessing this is the wolf you were telling me about?" He was referring to Scourge, nodding to the dark wolf. Scourge nodded back in respect to an elder and clearly superior Alpha wolf.

"Not exactly," Humphrey told him with a wry smile. "Remind me to tell you again some other time."

"I'll keep that in mind; I assume you saw what happened to the Pack Den?"

"Yeah, we saw," Humphrey replied. "Look, I have things to tell you that are really important, but I need to find Kate first. Where is she?"

"I'm not sure it'll be wise to look for her," Winston said.

"I need to," Humphrey pleaded. "Please, where is she?" Winston looked down and then sighed.

"She's back over there," he replied, motioning towards a grove of trees further back. "She's not happy for you leaving."

"I wouldn't expect her to be," Humphrey said. "Gather everyone up in five minutes; I have important things to say." He nodded and Humphrey padded forward towards the trees. Garth dipped his head in acknowledgement as he entered the trees, Humphrey returning the gesture. Scourge and Marcel remained outside while Humphrey entered.

He saw three wolves inside; Reeba, Eve, and Lily were looking down at the ground where a tawny-furred wolf laid. He assumed that she had given birth already and that they were witnessing it. He cleared his throat, gaining their attention. Eve glared at Humphrey, Lily and Reeba smiling weakly at him. Without any words, they got up and left him alone with Kate. He breathed shakily as she got up weakly, her rear to him. He scented neither pups nor milk, so he assumed that the other three had been in there to talk to her.

She turned to him and he saw her state; she was still large in the belly, her womb swelling with the pups inside. Her fur hung limply, the color beginning to dull. She was more fit than the other wolves, but not by much. A dull light remained in her amber eyes, her fur unkempt and hanging down. She saw him and they stood there for a few moments, silent, simply staring into each other's eyes.

Suddenly, she lashed out at him with a vicious snarl, sinking her claws into the right side of his face, leaving three jagged, bloody marks under his eye. He didn't flinch, didn't cry out, he simply blinked away the pain, his jaw clenching. Blood fell from the wounds as they began to form into scars. She gave a feral growl, bearing her fangs at him. He looked her in the eyes, refusing to back away from her. She circled him slowly, her claws clicking on the rock beneath them. She growled at him savagely. He looked forward, motionless. She snarled and bit into his right shoulder, tearing fur away and causing blood to flow from a gash wound. Still, he did not respond or resist. He deserved this for what he did to her.

She sank her claws into the left side of his flank, causing more blood to flow. Despite the extent of the wounds, only the cuts under his eyes would remain permanently scarred. She faced him directly, growling at him. He let the blood fall from his wounds and dry into his fur. Her eyes were icy, hardened, and filled with anger. Finally, a startling sob broke from her and she broke down in front of him.

Her face quickly buried itself in his chest fur and he embraced her tightly, gritting his teeth as tears fell from his eyes. She cried hysterically into his fur, tears soaking into his fur. He had broken her down and turned her into a bitter shell of her former self by leaving; he deserved every bit of hate and abuse that she could inflict upon him.

"Why did you leave me?" She wailed hopelessly. The sound of her cries broke Humphrey's heart.

"To find answers, my love," he replied.

"Don't ever leave me again!" She snarled. "Don't ever leave me again, Humphrey!" He nodded and nuzzled her, sharing his love and affection with her. She pulled away and circled him, licking the blood away from his fur, cleaning his wounds. She realized that she had torn into his scabbed shoulder after he had received physical pain from one of his nightmares, causing blistering puss to fall from it.

She continued to clean his wounds and organize his fur in a way that would hide her inflictions, though she couldn't hide the claw marks under his eye. He smiled at her and told her, "I'll wear it with honor." She smiled as they heard Winston's summoning howl. She looked at him in confusion, but Humphrey gave her a look that told her that he knew what he was calling for.

They walked out together and he introduced her to Scourge, briefly explaining how they met and their journey to the Dark Heart. He didn't elaborate as to what they found in the Dark Heart or the east, but she assumed that he'd tell her soon enough. When she saw Marcel, she instantly asked him how he was and how Paddy and Iris were doing. Tears fell from his eyes when she asked.

"They didn't make it," Marcel said, his voice quivering. Kate's eyes turned glassy and she hugged her friend, Marcel hugging her back. They walked into the slowly assembling crowd of wolves, Humphrey and Scourge leaping to the rock pile where Winston stood. Garth and Lily sat nearby, Tony next to Garth. Everyone whispered, not understanding who Scourge was, where Humphrey came from, or what they were being called to for.

Winston nodded at Humphrey and stepped back, joining Tony. Eve weakly padded next to Winston, everyone's eyes on Humphrey and Scourge. He took a shaky breath and walked forward.

"About five days ago, I left to the Eastern Territory to find answers to nightmares I've been having for a while now," Humphrey began. "I needed answers as to what the nightmares meant, and I met Scourge here who was on a similar journey from the Southern Pack."

Wolves began to perk up in respect and admiration for the Southern wolf; the Great Pack of South Jasper was revered, and to discover that he had accompanied Humphrey on his journey was a shock and legend on its own. Humphrey continued.

"What we found in the East and the Dark Heart beyond it was something that was terrorizing the South for years now; creatures that are called 'Longfangs.'" Shocked and fearful whispering sparked in the crowd at the mention of the despised, horrific, nightmarish creatures. "We also found a large group of humans in the Dark Heart; you have all seen their Fighter Jets, the large birds that came to the valley and killed the caribou.

"The humans are here for war. They destroyed the south and Scourge is the only survivor from the battle. The humans are fighting each other and using Jasper as their battlefield. They won't stop in the south, either; they're going to destroy whatever's left of our homes and kill us as well. We've been lied to; Tony, why don't you explain to everyone why you decided to betray us?"

Everyone turned their gaze to Tony. Tony looked about in surprise and shock, then back at Humphrey and Scourge. He growled at the two.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Tony snarled.

"Have you told everyone about the dead wolves in the back of your den, Tony?" Humphrey demanded. "Did you tell Garth how his mother and siblings died? Where are they, Tony?"

"Dad?" Garth asked. "What the hell's he talking about?"

"He's lying!" Tony growled. "The Omega speaks nothing but LIES!"

"Tony has been sacrificing wolves of the East to the Longfangs," Humphrey told them, horrified gasps emitting from the crowd. "I saw the corpses in the back of his den myself. The humans made them to kill their enemies and the Longfangs inhabited the East. The humans were what forced them back, and that's why they tried to take the Western territory! Tony has betrayed us!"

"NO!" Tony howled, leaping up to Humphrey. "You will all believe the word of an Omega? He does not know what he's talking about!"

"I saw it to," Scourge growled. "Humphrey's not lying."

"As have I!" Marcel cried out, flying down next to him. "I have lost two of my friends to the humans when we were searching for Humphrey!"

"Great," Tony smirked. "So you're going to believe our prey, an Omega, and a lone wolf that claims he was part of the Southern Pack? Have your minds all become addled? These are lies meant to deceive you! There is no human threat, nor are there any Longfangs; they are simply a myth!"

"I have known Humphrey for a long time," Winston spoke up, defending his son in law. "He is many things; he's an Omega, a hunter, and adventurer, my daughter's lover and mate, and my son, but he is not and never will be a liar."

"What do you suppose we do if these lies were true, Omega?" Tony spat. "Leave the territory? Die with it? Attack the humans?"

"We leave," Humphrey replied darkly. "Jasper is going to be destroyed by the humans very soon, and we need to leave as soon as we can. We'll head north…and to the Pack of the Winter Mountains." Shouts, howls, and incredulous remarks sounded from within the crowd of wolves. Tony laughed terribly at Humphrey, even Winston looked embarrassed by Humphrey's response.

"The Pack of the Winter Mountains?" Tony snarled. "That old myth? First you speak these lies, and then you say that we search for something that doesn't exist? Is this the wolf whose word you'll believe? Nothing will happen, and I have seen the valley myself these past days; there are no humans and prey to be collected down there! I saw we return to our home and feast on what will be the most easy and glorious prey we have ever seen!"

Howls of agreement sounded from within the crowd and wolves began to get up and howl to the sky. Humphrey looked through the crowd and saw Winston and his sad, disapproving eyes. He saw Salty, turning away, refusing to look at his friend. He sighted Kate, staring at him with sad eyes. Humphrey's heart sank as Scourge and Marcel tried to gain their attention and make them think otherwise, but it was a lost cause. They didn't believe him. Tony was about to lead them into the darkness…and to their deaths.

**A/N: There it is, everyone! Well, that didn't go too well! What's it going to take for Humphrey to convince the New Pack that they have to leave, and how will he protect his mate and friends if they won't listen to him? Find out in the next chapter! Thanks to imjustlikehumphrey, Alexander, humphreyandkate together, the dark shadow, and the silver wolf for reviewing my last chapters! Glad to see that you guys are all reading my story and enjoying it thus far as we near the climactic end! Until next time!**

**-The Dishonored Wolf**


	22. Trespassers

_He watched the Longfang emerge from its slumber. It tore itself out of the ground, shaking dirt and grubs from its flesh. It shifted its eyeless gaze to the sky, scenting the air. Luckily, he was downwind of the Longfang and out of danger. The Longfang stalked through the forest, leaving massive paw marks in the soft ground. Rain began to fall, sodding his fur and soaking the Longfang's fleshy hide. He stalked forward, three other wolves appearing beside him. These, however, were not normal wolves. They were massive, with more stocky, muscular legs and four large fangs that jutted out from their upper and lower lips._

_ Humphrey realized that they were dire wolves. He watched from his aerial vantage point as the four stalked the Longfang. The Longfang was oblivious to their presence as it lumbered through the forest searching for a meal. He felt another presence join him and looked to see a floating version of Sam approach him. Humphrey was about to ask him what was going on when Sam silenced him._

Observe your ancestors,_ Sam commanded. Humphrey nodded, looking back down. The dire wolves had spread out to surround the Longfang on the grassy ledges around the small gorge that the Longfang treaded down. They watched its movements intently as it continued forward._

_ By an unseen command, the dire wolves commenced their assault. They all pounced on top of the Longfang, sinking their large fangs into its hide. The Longfang roared in indignation and rage, bucking its body like a bull in an attempt to shake them free. The dire wolves held fast and together fell over one side of the Longfang, taking the large creature down. They leapt off before it would inevitably crush them, and then returned._

_ This time, Humphrey noticed something about the Longfang that he'd never seen before: its underbelly was a pulsing, pinkish color unlike its pale grey skin. The dire wolves leapt at the underbelly and tore into it with ease. A river of blood washed out from the massive tear they made, organs falling out onto the ground. The Longfang screeched in agony as the dire wolves did so, and then the great creature fell back with a low groan. The dire wolves began to dig and tear at the Longfang from the inside out, coming back out drenched from paw to ear tip with thick, crimson blood. They howled triumphantly into the skies before returning to their kill._

_ Despite Humphrey's shock and awe at the impressive kill, he was confused as to how the dire wolves would have killed the Longfang; if the humans created them wouldn't that imply that dire wolves were still alive?_

_ "So that's how you kill them," Humphrey observed. "I guess you were right, Sam. But I thought the dire wolves were extinct; how did they kill a Longfang?"_

They are extinct,_ Sam replied with a smug smile. _I just thought it would be more fun to use the dire wolves as an example. However, despite their extinction, that doesn't mean that they still have very close relatives.

_ "The Pack of the Winter Mountains," Humphrey breathed, receiving a confirming nod from Sam._

There are other wolves like them along the way north, _Sam told him. _However, they are unknown as friend or foe. You must tread carefully when dealing with them.

_ "The New Pack wouldn't listen to me," Humphrey sighed exasperatedly. "They think I've gone Mad Wolf for even bringing up the idea. Sam, I don't know what to do and the humans are going to kill everyone if I can't convince them!"_

Then save yourself while you still can._ Sam told him flatly. Humphrey turned but found himself alone in the clearing in the highlands. He sighed, walking about as he searched for anyone. The wolves were all gone, so he began to pad towards the Pack Den. As he walked, he noticed Fighter Jets screeching in the air, heading in the direction of the valley. _

_ Humphrey began to run, trying to reach the Pack Den and anyone else before the Fighter Jets could. However, the human vehicles were too fast for any animal to keep up with, and hundreds were screeching over. Larger planes began to fly above the Fighter Jets, odd lights flying from it. Black explosions began to fill the sky, hitting some of the planes and obliterating them upon impact. Pieces began to rain around Humphrey, flaming chunks exploding as they smashed into the earth._

_ He wove and dodged through the destructive maelstrom. More Fighter Jets and large planes flew into the first wave, firing the white-orange bursts at each other. They began to twist and weave in the sky, engaging in furious dogfights in the sky. Entire jets began to fly from the sky, smashing into the ground and turning into massive balls of flame and shrapnel, dirt and black smoke flying around him. Despite the danger, he managed to reach the Pack Den unscathed. _

_ Wolves were rushing about, frantically trying to escape the carnage. Fighter Jets fired large projectiles at them, impacting on the ground and blowing up in front of them. A word came to Humphrey's mind for the projectiles, an odd one that he'd never heard before: missiles. The missiles smashed into the earth, tearing it apart and causing massive wildfires to ensue, the trees catching into a burning blaze. _

_ Humphrey knew how this was going to turn out and knew that he was having a nightmare. He ran into a cave and hit his head against the stone wall. It had no effect, and he began to strike it with his paws until they were bloody and stiff. He scratched and bit himself in vain attempts to wake himself, but nothing would work. That's when the horrifying reality struck him: this wasn't a dream. This was real. It was too late! _

_ "Humphrey," a sweet voice said behind him. He turned to see Kate standing there with several pups around her. _

_ "Kate, we have to get out of here!" Humphrey told her frantically. "Come on, grab the pups and let's go!"_

_ "I can't Humphrey," she told him. "Do you know why?"_

_ "What are you talking about?" Humphrey breathed, panicking._

_ "I can't leave," she said. "I can't leave because YOU MADE ME DIE!" Suddenly, a burning plane flew into him, fire engulfing his vision._

He woke up with a startled, strangling gasp. He panted for air, looking to make sure Kate was still with him. She was sound asleep as they rested together within the grove of trees. He watched the steady rise and fall of her body for a while. Once again, he placed a paw on her belly and felt the small beat of the strong pup within. The other pups could be felt slightly, but this pup was vigorous, a true Alpha. He nuzzled her belly lightly, the kicking slowing and beating significantly softer.

It didn't take him long to realize that he was offering reassurance and comfort to the young pup; whoever he or she was, it was fully aware of Humphrey's presence outside and was completely accepting of the affection and comfort. The pup knew him despite not being able to see, scent, touch, taste, or hear him. The pup was completely senseless to a certain extent, but yet it could feel his touch. He wondered if the pup thought it was Kate giving that reassurance, briefly becoming doubtful of his previous assumptions.

He plunged his face into her neck fur, breathing in Kate's sweet scent. He got up and left her alone, padding into the pale dawn. A few wolves had left to find some food for the pack, the rest peacefully sleeping. He looked at them in sadness, knowing that none of them believed him when he said that danger was coming. Tony had convinced everyone to depart for the Pack Den in the morning and scavenge the remains of the caribou massacre for food.

Scourge silently followed him. Humphrey was aware of his ghostly presence; he'd learned to become familiar with it over the past near six days. They left the clearing and sat side by side on a low hill, overlooking the plains that led to the Eastern Forest.

"Sam came to you as well," Scourge said. It wasn't a question; he knew that Sam had visited Humphrey just as well as he came to visit Scourge. Humphrey nodded curtly, staring out into the forest. Scourge saw the scars under his eye, briefly wondering where he'd acquired them. He didn't ask, though; wolves did not intrude on the lives of others, and if they were inflicted by a friend or close family member, then he had no business getting involved. Nevertheless, the scars were certainly shocking to see on an Omega.

"We have to leave, Humphrey," Scourge continued. "I know you want to be a hero and save everybody but you have to face the facts and realize that we have to get out of here before the humans kill all of us off."

"I can't leave, Scourge," Humphrey told him. "I can't abandon Kate and our pups; I can't abandon Winston, Eve, Garth, or Lily, they're family. I can't abandon Salty and Sweets, they're my friends. I can't expect you to understand, Scourge, but I can't just leave behind those I love."

"Oh, I understand perfectly well," Scourge growled. Humphrey looked at him to see Scourge's fur bristling with anger. "I lost my mate, my family, and our first and second litter to the humans, yet you have the audacity to say I don't _understand_?"

"Scourge, I'm sorry, I didn't mean-"

"I know what you mean, Humphrey," Scourge growled. "I'm going north; I'll wait three days for you just before the mountain pass at the large hill with the trench. If you don't meet me there in the next three days, then I'll continue on and be a lone wolf."

"I won't be there unless it's with the rest of my pack," Humphrey replied. Scourge nodded in grim understanding, walking off. Humphrey called back to him, Scourge turning around. "Good luck, friend."

Scourge dipped his head and walked north to the mountains. Humphrey watched him go until he was lost from view, disappearing into the horizon.

**Six Hours Later**

Humphrey walked slowly with Kate near the front of the ranks just behind the rest of the Alphas, Garth, Lily, Tony, Winston, Eve, and Hutch. There were one hundred and thirty four wolves in the group including the pups. Marcel flew solitarily overhead, keeping watch in the skies if anything bad was waiting for them up ahead. Humphrey looked about, the wolves around him glaring at his slick, well-fed stature. He couldn't blame them; he'd been eating well throughout his journey whereas the rest of the New Pack had slowly begun to starve.

Tony's idea to scavenge the dead caribou for food was what kept the rest of the pack going forward. Humphrey, however, saw the flaws in his plan. The caribou smelled of rot and decay as well as a different, pungent, disgusting scent that Humphrey picked up when they returned to view the massacre. He doubted the caribou were all completely safe to eat, but once again, the pack refused to heed his warnings.

Kate had woken that day in great, agonizing pain. She thought the pups were coming, but it turned out to be false labor and excessive kicking from the pups. Humphrey was concerned for Kate's safety as well as their pups. If they were to be born within days, possibly within _hours_, then Humphrey had to ensure that they would be completely safe from harm, something that came as a struggle for him. How would he do that if the humans threatened their safety?

Suddenly, Marcel squawked from above. He dove down, the leaders rushing to the top of the next rise. Kate looked ahead worriedly, Humphrey joining them to see what was ahead. The rest of the pack stopped, pressing themselves low to the ground in fear. Humphrey reached the top of the rise and stared down into the valley. His eyes widened in shock at the scene; the humans had set up their base in the midst of the valley, their tanks and Humvees forming a large line halfway down the valley, the rest of the humans just behind them. The valley no longer belonged to the wolves; it belonged to the humans.

**A/N: Quite a short chapter, but there it is! By the way, have any of you noticed that the scars on Humphrey's face are the same scars in the picture for this story? Yeah, they are! Thanks to Alexander, the silver wolf, humphreyandkate together, the dark shadow, and imjustlikehumphrey for reviewing my last chapter! Unfortunately, there will only be four to six more chapters left of this story before it's finished D: luckily for the fans, this WILL become a series, though updates may be a bit slow due to a thicker storyline not only for these next chapters, but for my next stories. Well, until next time!**

**-The Dishonored Wolf **


	23. The Trail of Fire

"Do you believe me now?" Humphrey growled. They looked down, shocked that the humans had managed to move into their territory so quickly. Winston and Eve stared down, stunned at the horrific scene. Humans stalked about, barking their strange language at each other and waving their weapons in the air.Large, insect-like vehicles flew from the sky, hovering above the ground. Humans rappelled down from the hovering vehicles, a lout thumping sound being emitted from the vehicle as it hovered.

A large barricade was being constructed in the valley and on the land above it, the humans looking out further west. The caribou were all piled in a massive group several hundred meters behind the humans' furthest line, dark blood covering the corpses. The scent of rot and decay was strong, the air tainted with the foul, pungent scent.

They turned back to the pack, Garth and Lily giving instructions to the pack. Humphrey returned to Kate, giving her the details on the situation at hand. Her eyes darkened with sadness when he told her of the humans invading the valley. He tried to comfort her, but it did little to consolidate her. Everything foretold in his nightmares was coming true and still the New Pack refused to heed his warnings. The humans were ready for war and were bringing it right to their pawsteps. The wolves began to silently and carefully return to their dens, warily watching the humans.

Kate and Humphrey slowly followed, Kate's pregnancy slowing her down. She panted heavily as they walked forward, Humphrey letting her lean on him, supporting her. She looked down in sadness as the humans turned the valley into their home. The wolves did not say a word as they padded gloomily back to their dens. Several Alphas stood watch, making sure that no humans saw them and attempted to harm any of the wolves.

Humphrey helped Kate into the Leader's Den; Lily and Garth were willing to share their den with as many family and friends that they could accommodate, and Kate and Humphrey were to two priorities on their guest list. Humphrey and Eve helped Kate slowly lie down, easing her pain. Judging by Kate's laboring, she had less than a day or two before the pups were born. Humphrey was furious that their pups would have to live and grow up in a human-occupied territory. The worst part was that even if the New Pack had listened to him and decided to leave, the pups would be born in hostile, uncharted territory in a lonely trek through the mountains to the north. Either way, the pups would live in a real Hell.

Kate closed her eyes panted heavily, Eve rushing out to get moss and water for her. Lily padded to her sister and dropped a small rabbit on the ground next to her. She nudged it forward to Kate, waiting for her to eat it. She sniffed it and began to slowly nibble on the rabbit, tearing away small bits of fur-covered flesh and meat from its body. Eve promptly returned and placed a large shred of moss next to her so she could lap the water from it.

She did so, wearily blinking at everyone in the den with gratitude. She continued to eat until the rabbit was half gone, and then she lied down to rest. Her swollen belly was no easy sight to miss, her pregnancy obvious to any animal that looked her way. Humphrey realized that her birthday was the next day and wondered how he would be able to celebrate it with her. She was in too much pain and pregnancy was taking its toll on her, so a party like the one she threw him was out of the question. Perhaps they would have to celebrate it another time given the circumstances of the day. The pups would be born soon and Humphrey needed to provide for his family. He walked out of the den and headed into the forest.

"Mind if I join you?" Garth asked from beside him. Humphrey shrugged and the two continued on in the forest. He noticed Garth's figure beginning to thin out, his once-muscular appearance now looking more scrawny and weak. Like most of the wolves, his fur had begun to lose its former luster from lack of food and dehydration. Still, he continued on determinedly to hunt for his family as well.

They silently padded through the forest, searching for any sign of life. The few small creatures they found were too small or already dead, unfit to be eaten. Humphrey was beginning to despair when Garth suddenly stopped and looked at him. Humphrey turned to return his hard gaze.

"What were you talking about back in the highlands?" Garth demanded. "About my mother and sisters? What did you mean?"

"Your father," Humphrey replied cautiously. "Has been feeding wolves of your pack to the Longfangs in a kind of sacrificial chamber in the back of his den."

"Impossible," Garth growled. "All that's back there is thick cobwebs."

"I brushed them away," Humphrey said. "The Longfangs don't have eyes so they could only feel something in their way, so they never attacked anyone in your father's den. There's a large gap in the ground that leads to a chamber beneath an old tree. There's a pit in the center of the chamber where the bodies of old, dead wolves lie. On the top were three bodies; one was bigger than the other. They had red fur like yours; their eyes were torn out and blood covered their pelts. Old, dried blood is all around the chamber, so the wolves were all killed in there."

"There were wolves that went missing," Garth admitted. "Some were said to have died in hunting accidents while others were said to have left in search of a better home. My mother and sisters went missing one day; nobody knew where they went or why. The scent trail ended with this odd, disgusting smell that I've never scented before."

"The Longfangs," Humphrey mused. Garth nodded.

"We knew of the Longfangs and spotted them in the territory at night before, but never really though much of it. We didn't go near them and they didn't come near us; it was a relationship that was easy to deal with. When the caribou disappeared, we started hunting rabbits and mice, and for a while, it was all going so well. The pack was thriving and my father thought of calling off the deal he had with Winston over uniting the packs. That's when things really started to go wrong.

"The rivers were black with rot and decay. We don't know where it all came from, but they weren't safe anymore. Wolves would go to get a drink and die from whatever poisoned the water. The only safe water to drink in the territory was the stream running through the gorge, and even that was in danger of being tainted. The rabbits and mice were plentiful for a while, but then they started showing up dead around the forest. When food became scarce, we started to eat the dead bodies and hope for the best, but something had infected the bodies. Whatever killed them was just as deadly to wolves and we started dying off in the night. Pups would cough up blood and mothers would be barren, unable to feed their pups when they needed food.

"My father decided to summon Winston and talk about uniting the packs when the first sign of humans began to show up. Eventually, we left the territory and moved to a clearing closer to the border, leaving the bodies by an old tree behind the gorge-probably the one that you were talking about. Wolves were starving and dying of thirst, so we became desperate and tried to hunt your game to help feed our young and elderly. The pups and elders were the priority, and we allowed them to eat first. We rationed ourselves for many moons before we realized that action had to be taken or we'd lose everyone in the pack."

"And that's when you came to us," Humphrey finished. Garth gave a confirming nod.

"You have to understand, Humphrey, that we aren't bad wolves. The choices we made and continue to make to this day are and were incredibly difficult for all of us. We taught Omegas how to hunt and fight just as the Alphas so that they could help contribute to the pack. Anyone that was sick or seriously injured was cast out of the pack so that they wouldn't cripple the rest of us. It's been part of the Law of the Ancient Packs for millennia, and it's even a practice that your own leader has continued to respect.

"When we were ordered to take the valley, we were unprepared. Our weaknesses would not have allowed us to do much damage to your pack at all. It was literally just a last ditch effort to try keeping our pack alive. We care for each other just as much as your own wolves, Humphrey; we aren't monsters like you think."

"I don't recall ever saying that you were," Humphrey said flatly. "We just weren't too fond of your random attacks on our wolves and sabotaging our hunts."

"Like I said, we did what we had to do to survive. Humphrey, do you know how it feels to lose someone you love?" The question caught Humphrey off guard and for a moment, he hesitated, unsure of how to respond.

"Not quite," he replied. "Why?"

"Before I met Lily, there was another she-wolf that I cared about in my pack," Garth said solemnly. "Her name was Teresa, and I was originally going to ask her to be my mate. There was an incident, though; a human hunter shot her and she was bleeding out in the forest. I killed the human and rushed to her aide, wanting to help her in any way that I could. She was in so much pain, and there was so much blood…I had to do what was right, Humphrey. I made the most difficult choice of my life on that day, and I tore the pain away from her. It killed me to do it, but I had to take away her pain. I killed Teresa, and ever since there's been a bit of a void in me. When I met Lily, I swore to her I'd never let anything happen to her. I've heard you say the same for Kate and your soon-to-be-born pups."

"Why are you telling me this?" Humphrey questioned.

"Because you need to be prepared for everything and anything, Humphrey," Garth growled. "If anyone, be it friend, foe, or family is in pain or suffers from the eventuality worse than death, you have to be prepared to kill them. Lily and I are prepared to do so for each other, despite the pain it will ensue on us both. I would expect that if I was in pain and beyond any possible help, that you'd kill me. Do you understand?"

"I'm not going to let anymore wolves die," Humphrey replied firmly. "No one is going to die anymore. I've seen too much death in the past two moons."

Garth nodded and they continued their hunt. They sought prey for many hours but found none, the sun beginning to set across the horizon. Suddenly, they heard human voices up ahead. They slunk low to the ground and crept forward, watching as three humans trudged out from the undergrowth and threw a type of liquid on the forest floor. It had a tangy, pungent scent to it that stung their nostrils and made their eyes water; whatever it was, it was definitely not something to be drank.

"Yo, Sarge?" One barked. "What the fuck are we doing with this shit anyway?"

"If the fuckers breach our line, we light up this gas and it sets the forest ablaze," one responded. "They aren't getting any farther into the park past this fire unless they're wearing something that just happens to be flame retardant."

"Is anyone else wondering what anything living in this forest is going to think when we set it on fire?" The third asked.

"Fuck the animals; we're fighting a goddamn war, Polanski!" The first snarled.

"They can get their hairy asses out of here if they don't want to see their precious fuckin trees burn down." The second grunted. "Who gives a fuck? Just keep up with that gas trail and don't ya'll bitches light up out here or we're all fucked, you hear?"

"Aye, Sarge," the two replied as they continued to pour their liquid gas substance on the ground. Garth and Humphrey moved back; they did not understand what the humans said, but they knew it could only be trouble.

**A/N: There you have it! Well, looks like Garth has made some tough decisions as well in the past! The humans are laying down a gasoline trail to burn down the forest if enemy forces breach their line, and now the prey is disappearing! Thanks to imjustlikehumphrey, the silver wolf, and the dark shadow for reviewing my last chapter! Until next time!**

**-The Dishonored Wolf**


	24. The Eve of Pain

The rest of their hunt was relatively uneventful. Save for a few times that screaming Fighter Jets flew overhead, they did not encounter anymore humans in the forest. Still, they were bothered by the liquids that they were throwing about. It didn't look or smell like anything they'd ever seen or scented before, and that could only mean that trouble was rising. Humphrey chuckled to himself; trouble had raised moons ago. They padded back through the forest and made it safely back to the Pack Den. The day was late, the sun beginning to set over the cloudy horizon. The waning moon could be seen as little more than a sliver beginning to rise over the highlands to the south.

Over twenty Alphas were gathered about in the Pack Den, listening to Tony rant on about caribou. Despite his insanity, wolves still listened to him. The fact that even western wolves were beginning to think he had a shred of sense was beginning to concern Humphrey as well. They padded up to the group and tried to listen in on Tony's ramble.

"If we strike fast, we can get some caribou back here before they see us," Tony concluded. Garth and Humphrey looked at each other, confused. What caribou? The humans had killed all of them! The Alphas nodded in grim understanding and determination, setting out to the far end of the valley. Garth and Humphrey ran up to Tony. He smirked at Humphrey.

"Ah, so my son is hanging around the Mad Wolf Omega?" He spat.

"Dad, what's going on?" Garth demanded. "Where are they going?"

"To get us food, what does it look like?" Tony snarled. The ferocity and anger in his voice startled them, but they continued to hold their ground.

"What food?" Humphrey asked. "We couldn't find anything out there!"

"You two are blind then," Tony growled. "There is a giant heap of caribou waiting to be taken. We are going to seize the initiative and take what is rightfully ours!"

"You're insane!" Garth scoffed. "Those caribou have been dead for days! They could have rotted over or caught some disease that could kill someone! I don't even want to think about what the humans themselves did to them!"

"I'm not insane, son, I'm taking control of this corrupted leadership!" Garth and Humphrey's eyes widened. "I have made your hideous Omega piece of shit mate understand that well enough."

"Don't talk about Lily that way," Garth growled. His ears were back, his fangs barred, his claws scraping the rock surface below them. Rage filled his jade green eyes as he glared at his crazed father. "What have you done to her?!"

"You'll find out soon enough," Tony spat. "Get out of my sight!"

"No!" Garth snarled.

"Leave or be disowned!"

"Fuck you!" With that, Tony rammed into his son and forced him to the ground. Garth snarled and lashed back at his father with a terrible fury.

Wolves began to come out of their dens to witness the struggle. Humphrey tried to assist his friend and get Tony off, but only succeeded in Tony tearing into his paw. Humphrey howled in pain as blood fell from his right forepaw. Garth kicked fiercely into Tony's belly, temporarily beating him off. Lily ran out of their den, tears streaming down her face as she tried to help Garth, but Winston stopped her. This was a fight between father and son, and they had to resolve it themselves.

They circled each other, snarling viciously. Tony's crippled back arched, his long, curved claws scraping the stone, his bloodied fangs barred. Garth's eyes burned with hatred, his fur bristling as they slowly circled one another. The Pack Den was deathly quiet, everyone holding their breath as they waited for one wolf to make the next move. Kate came out of the den, Eve assisting her. She was shocked to see Tony and Garth ready to kill each other, to see Humphrey's bleeding paw, and to see her weeping sister.

Lily's fur was rugged and unkempt, something completely unusual of her. Humphrey saw bruises and small cuts on her flank, her legs shaking uncontrollably with a vigorous force. It didn't take a genius to know exactly what Tony did to her. Garth noticed as well and bellowed ferociously before rushing headlong into his father. Tony reared back on his hind legs and dug his claws into Garth's head, tearing fur away.

Garth slammed Tony on his back; everyone could hear the audible crack of his spine when he smashed into the ground. Humphrey winced just thinking about the pain he must have endured. Tony, however, was not out of the fight yet. He snarled and bit deeply into Garth's shoulder. Garth yowled and Tony shook him about, slamming him into the ground. Blood fell from a large gash in his shoulder, Garth clutching it with his paw, trying to fight back the agonizing pain. Tony grabbed him by the scruff and viciously whipped his head back and forth, slamming it into the ground. Garth's hold on reality began to dim, his vision turning white and a ringing began to sound in his ears.

Tony let him go and Garth stumbled a bit, trying in vain to turn around and attack again. Tony gave a bloody smile and knocked his son back on his side. Once again, Garth stood up and tried to attack, only for Tony to continuously repeat the terrible onslaught, beating Garth down until he was a only a heaving, bloodied, beaten, scrawny wolf on the ground, choking on his own blood, at the mercy of his father. Tony's crazed eyes darted around the Pack Den at all of the wolves staring at him. This was no simple fight; this was a dominance battle.

When a wolf thought of a leader or any other superior as unworthy, they challenged that wolf to a fight to the death. Whoever won the fight was unquestionably the superior and assumed the role of the previous wolf. In this case, Tony would assume Garth's rule as Leader Wolf. He placed his paw on his son's chest, Lily sobbing into her shocked father's chest. He sank his claws into Garth's torso, drawing blood. He seethed in agony as he did so. Humphrey limped over to Tony, intent on helping.

He ran up and tried to tear into Tony's flank, but Tony was ready and delivered a swift kick to the side of Humphrey's head. He flew back, slamming into the ground. Tony grinned and took Humphrey by the scruff, slamming his head into the ground. As he did so, Humphrey tried to sink his claws into Tony, trying to hit something that would distract him from delivering this kind of pain. Tony threw Humphrey down and smiled when he struggled to stand. His limbs would not support him and he collapsed, breathing heavily. Marcel flew down to him and tended to Humphrey, glaring at Tony.

Tears fell from Kate's eyes when she saw Humphrey's condition. When Humphrey saw her, he gained strength and began to slowly crawl in the direction of Tony and Garth. Marcel helped him along, trying to support him as he tried in vain to stand back up. Tony looked around at the assembled wolves, blood running down his face.

"I have proven myself worthy in this battle!" Tony snarled triumphantly. "I will not allow this pack to fall into darkness on the behalf of crazed, youthful, weak, and above all else, pitiful excuses of wolves. I will take the life of Garth just as I did his mother and sisters!" A mortified gasp swept through the ranks of the wolves as he admitted to what Humphrey had accused him of back in the highlands.

Marcel quietly helped Humphrey stand back up, Humphrey's eyes fixated on Tony. Garth was unconscious, blood leaking from deadly wounds on his body. Humphrey knew what he had to do. Winston had told him he'd have to make difficult decisions, and Garth told him he had to be ready to kill when the time was needed. This was his time to make a difficult decision. This was his time to prove he'd do anything to save those he loved and cared for. This was Humphrey's time to kill.

"I will take the mates of Garth and Humphrey as my own, and all of those who shall oppose me will be met with extreme prejudiced force!" Tony shouted. "Now begins the light of a new era!" Garth weakly tried to reach out to his father, to tear into him. Tony slammed his paw into the ground and snarled at him. "_IS THAT ALL?_" He snarled.

Humphrey now stood only a few pawlengths from Tony. He raised his right paw, the bloodied, injured paw. It had gone numb from the pain, now feeling nothing at all. He held it up to his face, watched as he curled his sprained paw into a deadly fist. He turned his ice-blue gaze back to Tony, a feral snarl forming on his lips.

"I said," Tony growled. _"IS THAT ALL?"_

"No," Humphrey growled from behind him. Tony whirled around and was met with Humphrey's fist. It connected with Tony's jaw…and tore it free from his face. The jaw went flying back, the fangs scraping against the stone. Blood poured from what was left of Tony's mutilated mouth, his eyes staring at Humphrey in shock. Humphrey lashed out and dug his fangs into Tony's neck. He gave one quick jerk of his head and instantly snapped Tony's neck. His eyes rolled back in his head and Humphrey threw the corpse to the ground.

He ignored the stunned, horrified stares of the wolves around him. He limped to Garth in pain, helping his friend and brother back up. Marcel looked at Humphrey, a proud gleam in the eyes of the middle-aged goose. He dipped his head to Humphrey as he selflessly helped Garth back up, supporting him as they walked back to the Leader's Den. That was when the Alphas sprang into action. Three of them took Garth, while seven more slammed Humphrey to the ground. Wails of anger and indignation sounded from the crowd.

Kate screamed at them, begging to let him go. Winston and Eve tried to get them away but to no avail, Marcel barraging the assaulting wolves from above. They dragged Humphrey into a small, dark den and threw him inside. He slammed against a stone wall and reeled in pain. The seven wolves held off anyone that tried to get back to him, saying he had to rot and die in the den for his crime of treason and betrayal. Humphrey collapsed in pain, clutching his paw. The force of his blow dealt extreme pain to Humphrey, more blood falling from his pads. He looked out from the den and watched as the wolves dispersed.

Humphrey knew what that meant; he was to stay in the den and die, or risk trying to escape and possibly get killed anyway. That was the Law of the Ancient Packs; a wolf was allowed his or her own of the most severe punishments: exile in banishment, or death by starvation and dehydration. Humphrey wasn't going anywhere; he was in too much pain.

_You just can't seem to keep yourself out of trouble, can you? _Sam asked. Humphrey looked up to see the apparition of the Dark Wolf above him. The crimson eyes bore sympathy despite the hollow, grating voice.

"I thought I was doing something right," Humphrey replied sourly. "I thought I was making the right choice in doing that. I guess not."

_Why do you not believe so?_ Sam inquired. The question seemed odd to Humphrey. Was the Dark Wolf blind? Could he not see where he was? He pointed it out blatantly to Sam, but received only an amused smile from the apparition. _Who is to say that you made a wrong choice other than yourself? Are choices not seen as good or bad by the perception of the choice-maker? What could have been wrong about your choice, Young Grey?_

"I didn't have to kill him," Humphrey said stagnantly. "I could have let him go."

_Yet your non-blood brother would have perished,_ Sam said, sitting next to Humphrey._ Would your choice have been any different? You prevented two deaths and possibly more. Had you allowed the Mad One to live, you would have died with your brother and the lives of both of your mates and your own pups may have been extinguished by his insanity. You have saved more than you could have lost._

"I guess you're right," Humphrey replied bitterly. "Now what do I do?"

_Your companion has asked me many questions before when he was met with an impossible situation,_ Sam told him. _Would you like to see?_

"You mean Scourge?" Humphrey asked, suddenly interested.

He went by a different name then, but yes, your friend, Scourge.

"Yeah, yeah sure," Humphrey said, bringing himself painfully to his paws. "What can you show me?"

_First, let me help you,_ Sam said. He walked up to Humphrey and touched Humphrey's paw with his own. Intense pain went through him; it felt as though fire was coursing through the veins in his paw. Humphrey seethed in agony, but then he noticed something odd. The splaying of his paw that had occurred when Tony tore it was being fixed, fibers and tissues reforming and reconnecting. Blood returned into his paw, filling itself in his paw again.

Humphrey looked in wonder as his paw was returned to normal, seemingly unaffected by anything in the past. His wounds on his flank, legs, and scruff began to heal as well. He stopped Sam from healing the three scars under his eye, wishing to keep those wounds. Sam nodded and complied. Within minutes, all of Humphrey's wounds-save for his clawed scar underneath his right eye-was healed. He even felt wounds from his puphood healed, as though he was never injured in his life. He felt his muscles broaden slightly, his skin feeling tougher and more durable. He was now as well conditioned as the finest Alpha.

_So you can do what must be done, _Sam explained without Humphrey asking. He nodded and closed his eyes, waiting for Sam to take him into the memory of Scourge.

_ Sam placed a paw on his chest and he felt them warp into the realm of dreams. He opened his eyes and saw himself on a rise in unfamiliar territory. He looked around, trying to figure out where he was. _

_ Suddenly, a black wolf leapt over him in pursuit of a fleeing caribou. Humphrey instantly recognized it as Scourge. He raced after him, watching as he relentlessly chased the animal. His ribs were beginning to show through his lean fur coat, a deep hunger burning in his eyes. The caribou faulted, misjudging a leap over a rise and hit the ground-hard. It scrambled forward, but not before Scourge could leap onto its back, sinking his fangs into the neck of the caribou. _

_ The caribou bucked, desperately attempting to shake Scourge off. He held fast, digging his claws into the flank of the caribou, scarlet blood flying out, glistening in the glorious sunlight of the cool, autumn day. The caribou collapsed, and Scourge tore the Life Blood from the caribou's neck. The life faded from its eyes and Humphrey ran up to Scourge, congratulating him. Scourge, however, took no notice of him. He looked at Sam in confusion._

He cannot hear you here,_ he explained. _None can see, hear, scent, or feel us. We are but viewers in this epic. _Humphrey nodded in understand as he watched Scourge tear into the caribou, eating as much as his gullet would hold. His face was covered in blood when he was finished, his chest fur flecked with bits of organs and discarded flesh. _

_ He tore into the caribou, ripping off two legs. He dropped them several meters away and then scent marked the radius around the caribou, proclaiming the kill as his own. He retrieved the legs and slowly walked back the way he'd come, carrying the two large limbs with him. Humphrey and Sam padded quietly behind him. Humphrey realized that they were in the Southern Pack territory and looked about in wonder at the unfamiliar land. This was what the territory looked like before the humans evidently razed it. _

_ They followed him as he began to swim across a river onto an island, wading onto shore. They swam after him, following him as he made his way to the center of the island. A clearing in the forest provided a home for the exceptionally large Southern Pack. A fallen tree on the far side of the clearing provided a hollowed out home for parents and their pups. Humphrey noticed several large gaps in bushes and undergrowth where wolves had made their dens. _

_ Scourge walked towards a group of ferns, placing the caribou at the base. A beautiful black she-wolf walked out, glaring at him. Scourge sank to his belly, grinding the side of his face into the ground, his ears and tail down in submission. The she wolf scented the caribou legs as more wolves began to appear, watching the ordeal._

_ "You bear the blood of the caribou on your breath," she growled. "What have you to say for this blasphemy?"_

_ "I had to tear the caribou's legs off, so that is why the scent is there," Scourge explained. She growled and scratched him on the leg. He yelped and backed away in fear. _

_ "Such lies are not tolerated in my pack, Nicholas," she snarled. Humphrey looked at Sam in confusion, unable to understand why she'd called him Nicholas. Was this not Scourge after all? Sam told him to wait and Humphrey grumbled, returning his attention to the ordeal. "Just because we are mates does not give you any right to take food belonging to the pack."_

_ "The caribou is still there!" Nicholas stammered. "If I can gather a few more wolves, we can bring-"_

_ "You left a caribou in the open?" She snarled. "Have you gone Mad Wolf? You foolish Omega! Prey is scarce enough as it is, but your laziness and self-interest allowed an entire caribou to stay there when the humans are moving in on our territory every day? Be gone! Retrieve that caribou now or do not return!" _

_ Nicholas whimpered in a pleading manner, his tail slightly wagging in hope that she'd reconsider. His hope was in vain, though, and he was so naïve to have though that she would have done so. She snarled and grabbed him by the scruff, throwing him back. More wolves snarled and growled hungrily at him. His tail tucked tightly between his legs, his ears flattened against his skull. His guard hairs stood on end, his eyes wild with terror._

_ He bolted away and suddenly, the world melted away, everything moving at a faster pace as Humphrey and Sam stood there. He realized that Sam was taking them to a different time, several weeks after that event. They stood on a hill, watching as Nicholas and the she-wolf argued._

_ "I'm telling you, if we don't get out now, the humans will kill us all!" Nicholas pleaded, trying to make the she-wolf see what he meant._

_ "You expect me to tell my pack that they have to search for a mythical wolf pack to escape a doom that may not befall us?" She growled. "The humans have stopped moving in and the prey is starting to return to the territory! We cannot leave now!"_

_ "Please, Collette!" Nicholas cried. "We have to leave! I can't let you die!"_

_ "This is not a matter of you or me," Collette replied. "This is a matter of the pack in its entirety. I will not tell them that we have to leave due to the dilapidated hallucinations of a useless Omega!"_

_ "I thought we'd abolished the ranks," Nicholas muttered, looking away. "I thought we were supposed to be equal. Was that not the reason we became mates, or were you using me for something? Pups? Status? A rise to power? Do I even mean anything to you, Collette?"_

_ "You know the answer to that question, Nicholas," she growled, glaring at him in fury. _

_ "I'm not so sure I do," he said in sadness. "I love you, Collette. Do you love me?" She glared at him and spat in his face. She stalked away, back to the island. "Collette…Collette, wait!"_

_ "You are nothing but a scourge on my life!" She snarled. "You mean nothing to me or any other wolf! You are a worthless excuse for a wolf! You are hereby banished from this pack, to live your life as a Lone Wolf, to be a scourge to another wolf in your life! Leave now! I do not wish to kill you, but if we see you in this territory by dawn of the next morn, you will be slaughtered on sight!"_

_ Nicholas whimpered, Humphrey watching in shock as Nicholas padded solemnly away. Tears fell from his eyes, wetting the ground where he walked. He sniffed in misery, his head and tail drooping low. Humphrey stood in front of him, hoping to make some kind of contact. Sam, however, was right; it was not possible to do so, for Nicholas simply walked through him, unnoticing of Humphrey and Sam._

_ "I'm just a scourge," Nicholas sobbed, walking forward. Humphrey was sympathetic for the poor soul; had Kate done the same to Humphrey, he'd be just as crushed. "I'm just a scourge, I'm just as scourge, I'm just a fuckin scourge. I. Am. A. Fuckin. Scourge. I am Scourge. Yeah, that's it; I'm fuckin Scourge."_

_ He laughed twistedly to himself, spitting mucus at the ground. He walked out of the south when he suddenly heard the screech of Fighter Jets. He whirled around, watching as they suddenly engaged more in the sky. Jets fired the white-orange bursts at each other above the island territory, turning each other into bright balls of shrapnel and flame. Humans were starting their war, and they were starting it on their land._

_ Nicholas gasped, forcing himself to stand still. The jets crashed into the ground, starting massive fires that swept through the forests and plains. The humans began to move up on the island and jets fired their projectile rockets at it, lighting the forest ablaze. Nicholas collapsed in agony, knowing that he was forced to bear witness to the eradication of his pack. Everyone was going to die in the next few minutes; all of the pups, all of the mothers and fathers, aunts and uncles, siblings and elders. Nicholas' brother, his sisters, his parents, Collette…they were all going to die. Despite her cruel words, Nicholas still loved Collette, and to know that she was now dead along with the rest of his pack tore at his heart. He watched as they obliterated the forest and each other, lighting the land ablaze._

_ Ran began to fall from the sky, smoke and steam flying into the air. The sporadic flashes of human weapons and screams of pain and howls of triumph could be heard from the smoke-covered land. Absolutely no sounds came from a wolf. Nicholas crumpled to the ground, crying in pain and misery. Everyone was dead, everyone was dead, EVERYONE WAS DEAD! He listened to that Dark Wolf; that damned Dark Wolf that told him to seek the Pack of the Winter Mountains and he told his pack that they had to leave, but they didn't listen to him!_

_ He howled in pain, screaming to the rain-filled sky as he felt his heart blacken, wither, and die off completely. He wanted to die, he sought desperately to die. Why wouldn't the Wolf God, Fenrir, just let him fucking die? It was hours before he could bring himself to stand to his paws, looking out at the burning territory in pain. He howled, seeking anyone that might have been fortunate enough to have survived the attack. He did this for over half an hour, receiving no response. Everyone was dead. Everyone was dead, except for him. They lived and he died; it was like the sick, twisted punch line of a fucked up joke. That's all that Nicholas was anymore, all he ever was and ever would be: a joke._

_ He looked at what remained of his former home with hollow, heartsick eyes. He suddenly was overcome with a purpose; a reason to continue fighting for life. He had to prevent another tragedy such as this from repeating. He had to warn the other wolves of Jasper to go anywhere to the north; they had to escape before the humans repeated history. With determination, he set off to the west, the wolf Nicholas walking forever solitary. He was a Lone Wolf. Nicholas the Lone Wolf. No, he was no longer Nicholas. He couldn't return to that life anymore; the wolf Nicholas was dead. He was Scourge. Scourge the Lone Wolf._

Humphrey opened his eyes, his heart heavy with the memory that Sam had shown him. Sam sat at the side of the den, looking down at the ground in sadness. Humphrey tried to wrap his mind around the horrific sight that Sam had shown him. That was what happened to Scourge; he used to be a wolf called Nicholas, but was forced to walk the most difficult path of all. He watched his pack die, suffered the neglect and rejection of his mate and his pack, forced to live with the choices he made.

_I can only blame myself for what happened,_ Sam told him. The apparition did not move his mouth as he never did, simply speaking to him telepathically. Humphrey was still sometimes caught off guard by the way the Dark Wolf spoke to him. _I told him to seek the Pack of the Winter Mountains, but I only succeeded in getting his pack killed._

"It wasn't your fault, Sam," Humphrey told him reassuringly. "You did what you thought was the right thing to do. It was his own pack's corrupted core that brought its downfall."

_Perhaps,_ Sam replied. Then he changed the subject. _I like that name._

"What name?" Humphrey asked curiously.

_Sam,_ he replied. _I almost feel as though I am a wolf._

"What are you?"

_A spirit._

"What kind of spirit?"

_One that hopes to make a difference._ Humphrey nodded and Sam left him alone in the small den. Sam wanted to make a difference and help those that could not help themselves, and Humphrey was intent on helping his own pack. He couldn't let them suffer the fate that the Southern Pack had. Suddenly, Kate poked her head in warily.

"Humphrey?" She whispered.

"Kate," he said with a grateful smile. She approached him, but Humphrey held back, looking at the ground. "I'm sorry; I shouldn't have done that. I'm a monster." He spat the word 'monster' like it was poison. She nuzzled him, and then rubbed her nose against his.

"You aren't a monster, Humphrey," she said soothingly to him. "You're my sweet, fun-loving mate and the father of our pups." He nodded, accepting her warm embrace.

"I'm surprised your parents allowed you in here," he said. "Much less the guards."

"There are no guards," she said. "Garth was healed somehow; it was a miracle. He kept muttering about a black wolf coming to him and healing his injuries." Humphrey smiled wryly, giving a silent thanks to Sam. "The majority of the pack is supporting Garth and Lily, making them see reason. My mother and father fought for you, trying to get you out of here."

"So I can leave?"

"I'm sure you will be able to," she said. "Humphrey, will you howl with me?" He stared into her beautiful amber eyes, flashing her his loving smile.

"I'd love nothing more than to howl with you, Kate," she smiled and they walked out of the den, silently padding to the Howling Mountain. Despite her weakness, she was able to steadily walk up to the peak with Humphrey. They looked about, amazed at the splendid view of Jasper Park. They sat together, relishing their happiness together as the cool wind blew against their fur.

"Too bad it's not a full moon," Kate said.

"Oh well," Humphrey said. "Full moons are overrated anyway." She laughed and licked her mate's face in happiness. Then, they began to howl, their voices joining into one beautiful, reverberating melody that carried in the air sang to the skies. They sang no particular song, simply sitting together and howling to each other, their hearts beating quickly in their chests. After over an hour of howling, they padded back down together.

When they returned, Humphrey seethed. There were several dead wolves beside the caribou that the Alphas had brought back with them. The rest of the pack held back, glaring at the caribou in fear. The humans had poisoned the caribou, the rot and decay adding even deadlier sicknesses to it. They now knew that the prey was not safe to eat, not anymore. The New Pack was going to starve if they didn't leave, and they still refused to listen to Humphrey's warnings. Kate stared at them in shock and Humphrey led her away, following Winston, Eve, Hutch, Candu as they trekked through the forest down to the caribou pile.

They arrived at the bottom of the valley, watching several humans intently. They glared at the invaders as they laughed and ate their food several hundred meters from the caribou pile. They were lying in the tall grass less than thirty meters from the humans. When three of the four humans got up to leave, Eve began to stalk forward towards the solitary human, but Winston stopped her, asking her what she was doing.

"We can't eat because of these monsters," Eve growled. "But there's something that we can eat here." At first, they though she was talking about stealing their food. It was a risky idea, but the only plausible one that could bring them food. Eve licked her lips. "Say, have any of you ever tasted human blood?" That was when they knew what she was going to do.

"Eve, no!" Winston shouted, but she was already bolting ahead. She gave a vicious snarl and leapt at the unsuspecting human, knocking him to the ground. He cried out in surprise, but Eve quickly sank her fangs into his neck. He released a choking scream, firing off a stray shot of his small weapon. The other three humans looked back and saw Eve tearing into him. Their eyes widened and they ran back to their comrade, shouting and screaming at her.

Eve gave into her insatiable hunger and tore him apart, eating his innards, his flesh, his organs, muscle tissue and flesh. Bloody entrails hung from her maw as she tore into her dead human adversary. Suddenly, the humans were upon her, beating her with large, sharp objects. One of them held a stick with a large blade at the end. He brought it up and, with a howl, severed Eve's head from her body. He picked up the bloody head and tossed it into the grass, screaming. Two of the humans aimed their weapons into the grass, shining bright lights into it as the third that had killed Eve dragged away their fallen.

They stalked back, regrouping with the rest of their human allies. Kate stumbled forward despite Humphrey's protests and collapsed beside the severed head of her mother. She sobbed, crying out for her mother. She had attacked the humans in desperation and starvation, and she had paid the ultimate price for doing so. Winston stood nearby, his eyes blank and tears running down his face. Humphrey held Kate as she cried into his chest fur. Candu and Hutch looked on solemnly, Lily and Garth appearing nearby. Lily fainted when she saw her mother, Garth, caring for her.

"Mom!" Kate screamed. "Mom, please! No!" Humphrey clutched her tighter, looking at Eve in sadness.

"It's okay, Kate," Humphrey whispered into her ear. "I'm here, Kate. I'm here."

**A/N: Well, there's your dose of a 5366 word chapter and the longest chapter I've written for this story! Damn, a lot happened in this chapter! We witnessed a bloody dominance fight, Tony's death, Eve's death, Scourge's fateful story, and the deaths of wolves foolish enough to eat the infected caribou. Things are going to shit, Kate's birthday is the next day, her pups will be coming within a day or two, and the humans are still in their territory, starving them out. Also, if you've been receiving multiple updates for this story, it's because the site has been glitching out for me for some odd reason. Thanks to imjustlikehumphrey, the dark shadow, and the silver wolf for reviewing my last chapter! Until next time!**

**-The Dishonored Wolf**


	25. The War Begins

Eve's body and severed head were wrapped in moss and reeds, carried on the backs of two wolves as the group solemnly walked. The three wolves that had died from the poisoned caribou were carried alongside her, their bodies wrapped tightly. The sky was dark grey and cloudy, though the scent of rain was absent. There was a heavy breeze on the occasion, but for the most part, the day was still and cool. The wolves of the new pack followed behind, attending the vigil.

Lily and Garth walked directly behind the wolves carrying the bodies, Winston standing behind them. Lily and Winston's eyes were red and sunk in, revealing that they'd wept throughout the night. Humphrey and Kate walked behind them. Kate had cried terribly that night despite Humphrey's honest attempts to comfort her and calm her down. Tears streaked her tawny fur; she had cried herself to sleep that night, Humphrey offering his sympathy and affection to her. She needed it in this situation. Today was not a happy day as it should have been; it was Kate's third birthday and her mother was killed the night prior.

Humphrey's heart was heavy for the loss of Eve; despite her occasional hostility towards him and other wolves, she had accepted him into their close-knit family, and now she was dead, unable to see Kate's pups when they came. He mourned her loss just as everyone else had, and it impacted him heavily that she had died in such a horrible way. Marcel had talked to Humphrey about it, and he was ashamed to have had the 'I told you so' thought in his mind. Marcel said he had the right to have that thought; after all, had they all listened to him, no one would have died and they'd be on their way to finding a new home that was safe for all of them. Still, Humphrey persisted in saying that it wasn't right for him to think that kind of a thought and scolded himself for thinking it. He tried talking to Sam about it, but he was silent, unwilling to talk to Humphrey. Unwilling, that is, or un_able_. He knew not what the answer was, but didn't care at this point. Today was a day of mourning for the deaths of too many good wolves.

They arrived at the grasslands that fed into the highlands beyond, lowering the bodies to the ground. Now, it was time for the ritual. All of the wolves that were able were to assist in the digging of a new grave for the wolf or she-wolf being buried. Four graves were needed, and it would take a while to dig. Humphrey and Kate moved next to Garth, Lily, and Winston. They began to dig in a vacant spot, tearing into the dirt. Kate began to pant with exhaustion, overexerting her energy. Humphrey forced her to lie down and rest, Winston agreeing and telling her to do so as well. They continued to dig, taking shifts as other wolves came in to help with each new hole.

Humphrey's paws were caked with dried mud and dirt, his fur flecked with grime and soil from the depth of the hole that they were digging for Eve. Despite his hunger, thirst, and overall exhaustion of energy, he relentlessly continued to dig until each hole was the height of a wolf. Humphrey's claws scratched something hard and he curiously began to dig around it. He realized that it was the skeleton of another wolf. Humphrey pointed it out to Winston and they began to fill the hole in respect for the previous wolf buried there.

The day wore on as they made sure every hole was vacant of old bodies and deep enough to bury their fallen. Kate protested against her inability to dig and nevertheless helped in the dig, Humphrey monitoring her as the time lapsed. Her eyes bore determination and sadness, willing to give her mother the proper burial and respect that she deserved. Once the holes were finished, they retrieved the bodies, slowly lowering them into the graves, resting them at the bottom. The wolves gathered in a large circle around the graves, staring down into them. Friends and family of the deceased wept for their dead.

Wolves began to speak for their fallen wolves, saying kind words for the wolves. Each speech ended with the same words of hope and encouragement: "May Fenrir guide you." Those wolves that did not have close or any relations with the fallen simply said this Final Line. When all wolves had given their respects to the dead, they all said the Final Line in unison, their voices joining together as one harmonious voice that carried on the wind and buffeted into the air, whispering to the Wolf God, wishing for him to guide the soul of the dead to the Bright Land.

Then, it was time for the wolves to speak for Eve. Nearly every wolf had something to say for her, only a few murmuring the Final Line. She was known and adored by nearly all despite her demonic and occasionally overzealous nature. The circle turned, each wolf saying their respects until it reached Winston. The eyes of the New Pack were on the old grey as he took several pawsteps forward. He took a shaky breath and began to speak on behalf of his beloved mate.

"Eve was and forever will be the best friend and mate I have ever had the esteemed pleasure and fortune of knowing," Winston said. "She birthed my two beautiful she-pups and has stood beside me for countless moons. I will never forget her and never stop grieving and mourning for her. May Fenrir guide you, Eve." He stepped back, Garth going forward.

"Eve wasn't exactly my favorite she-wolf to have known at the beginning, but she wore on to me and she accepted me despite my coming from a different pack. It was a pleasure to know her and she will be missed. May Fenrir guide you, Eve." Now it was Lily's turn.

"Eve was my mom," she said between sobs. "She was, for a long time, the only friend I ever had. She would play with me and comfort me when Kate was elsewhere and always encouraged me to be the best she-wolf I could be. I-I miss you, mom. M-may Fenrir guide you, Eve." She stepped back and allowed Kate to take her turn.

"Eve was my mom as well," Kate said, crying. "I-I didn't always do what I was supposed to and-and I know I wasn't the best daughter I could be to her. Before Alpha School, I was always c-causing trouble and-and disappointing her. But whatever I did, s-she always forgave me and was still the best mom I could ever have. I wanted her to see our pups and I wanted my pups to know their amazing grandmother, but-but I guess that wasn't her destiny. I love you, mom. May-may F-Fenrir guide you, Eve." She stepped back, crying into her fur. Now it was Humphrey's turn.

He stepped up, taking a shaky breath. There was so much to be said for Eve, yet he couldn't seem to bring the words he needed to say. For a moment, his heart began to race in panic for not being able to say anything, when he finally found his voice and discovered the words he needed.

"Eve didn't really ever like me," Humphrey said. "When she found me in the forest with Kate when we were younger, she was furious and ever since has been threatening to kill me for one reason or another. When she found out that Kate and I were supposed to repopulate in Idaho, she really did try to kill me. I think she still wanted to after that, too. After my birthday, she came and talked to me and she told me that she accepted me as Kate's mate and part of the family. I couldn't even think of all I could say to thank her, and to know that she accepted me was one of the best feelings in the world. I felt just as emotionally connected with her as her immediate family and I'll miss her and mourn her every day until I die. May Fenrir guide you, Eve." The rest of the wolves murmured the Final Line, and then began to howl.

The howl was no song and it was no way to lift pain from their hearts. The howl was a requiem to the fallen. Their mournful wail of sadness swept through the air and across Jasper National Park, their hearts heavy and tears running down their faces. All wolves, despite their crying and sadness, were able to howl the mournful howl. Even the pups found their voices to do so. They howled all that they could, the sound of their pain reaching the skies and traveling to Fenrir.

The souls of the fallen wolves were to walk on along the song of the howl and be guided by Fenrir from the earth to the Bright Land. The Bright Land was a wonderful place that promised the gift of eternity; no pain, no sadness, no hunger, and no problems awaited them. The Bright Land was a place of peace and prosperity, and on occasion, the spirits would return to the earth to meet the wolves that they left behind in the Great Sky Lights of the North. Some wolves traveled from their packs and went north for the sole purpose of doing just that and successfully met with the fallen wolves. However, they did not always return. The journey was perilous to and from the north, and as a lone wolf, one could hardly say it was an easy quest.

Finally, their howling ceased and the walked drearily back to the Pack Den. Marcel fluttered down and looked at the grave of Eve in sadness. He muttered something in a different language that Humphrey could not understand, yet it seemed vaguely familiar. He remembered it as the Language of the Ancients, the universal language that all living things spoke. Humans in their detachment to the ancient ways had long forgotten the language and therefore could not communicate with other animals as the wolves and other species' could. Marcel ended his whisper and flew to Kate and Humphrey.

"I have to leave now," he told them. "I have my own unfinished business to take care of, my friends."

"Do you need any help?" Kate asked him. Marcel shook his head.

"No, this is something I must do on my own."

"Take care, old friend," Humphrey wished him. "And don't take any unnecessary risks."

"Will do, my furry friend," Marcel replied, dipping his head. "Good luck."

"You too," Kate and Humphrey whispered. Kate hugged the old goose, Marcel returning the warm embrace. He whispered his apologies and condolences in her ear and she nodded, sniffing in misery. Humphrey extended his paw to Marcel in his own formal greeting. Marcel smiled in amusement and shook his head, hugging Humphrey as well. Humphrey hugged him back slightly. He stood back and nodded to Marcel. He smiled at the two wolves and launched himself into the air, taking flight and heading south. Humphrey had no doubt that he was returning to Sawtooth to construct a memorial for Paddy and perhaps Iris as well.

Humphrey, as it turned out, was correct in this assumption. Marcel flew south to Sawtooth with the intention of one last Birdie dedicated to the best friend he'd ever known. It would be the last time Marcel would ever golf; from then on, his destiny was in his own wings, just as the future of the New Pack was in the paws of the wolves. Winston sat down next to Eve's grave, staring blankly at the ground. Kate called out to him, but he shook his head, telling them that he wished to stay for a while. In understanding, they left, leaving the old wolf to his thoughts.

No words were exchanged between the mated couple as they padded along; no words were required. They walked ahead and sat in their clearing. Kate looked at the ground in misery, Humphrey sitting beside her, their fur tugged against each other from the force of the wind. Kate pulled something out of her fur and looked at Humphrey. It was a reed loop with three purple flower petals intertwined in them. She wrapped the small loop around Humphrey's right paw and looked at him.

"I made it for you," she said. She looked away, somewhat embarrassed. "I know it seems odd and isn't all that great, but I thought you might like it…I don't know, Alphas never really did much in terms of fun or arts and crafts as much as Omegas did, so I know I didn't do a very good job on it and-"

Humphrey silenced her by rubbing his nose gently against hers. He licked her face and gave her his appreciation.

"I love it, Kate," he told her with a smile. She flashed him a weak smile and they sat together for a while. "Happy third birthday, Kate," She nodded in thanks and they sat together, sharing their love for one another. Humphrey looked down at the odd loop she'd given him wrapped around his paw, admiring the natural look to the odd contraption. It scented of her, the flower petals embedded inside from Kate's favorite flower.

He glanced over to where they grew, but saw the patch dead and grey. The flowers were shriveled and decayed, stiff and cracking in the wind. He took condolence in the fact that there would be more another day. It didn't matter how many flowers survived; life would always resume in one way or another. At that moment, Humphrey had absolutely no intentions to leave Jasper. The humans would leave, he was sure, and there was no doubt about it. Scourge was wrong in leaving; the humans weren't going to destroy anything.

Nothing would happen, and nothing would separate him and Kate. Kate grunted for a moment, drawing his attention. He looked at her in worry, seeing her clutching her belly. He gave her a questioning look and she smiled in reassurance.

"It's that one pup," she told him. "The she-pup that has that really strong kick," He grinned and felt her belly, the small yet forceful kick of the pup hitting against her womb. He nuzzled her belly again and the pup-as it had always done when he nuzzled her womb-ceased to kick so fiercely. Kate and Humphrey smiled at each other. "I think she likes you." Kate said. Humphrey smiled wryly at her.

"What makes you so sure it's a she-pup?" He asked with a grin. "It might be a strong male that'll grow up to be an Alpha."

"Or," Kate pointed out with an equally large grin. "It could be a fun-loving she-pup that'll grow up to be our proud little Omega."

"You still didn't answer my question, though," Humphrey said. "How do you know it's a she-pup?"

"My motherly intuition," Kate said, winking at him. Humphrey began to laugh, Kate joining in. This was how life should always be; Kate and Humphrey were meant to be together, no doubt, and it was how Humphrey intended on keeping it. Kate's nose rubbed against his scars and she frowned. "Sorry about doing that to you."

"It's alright," he said with a laugh. "Hey, how about I tell the pups I was in a huge war and came back to save you, earning these scars in battle?" She giggled at the ridiculous prospect of telling the pups that fantasy.

"Not much of a fight," she said. "Besides, I'd be saving you more likely."

"Hey, I thought we were equal in that respect!" Humphrey protested.

"No," she said, nuzzling him. "You saved me more times than I saved you."

"Well, you did save me in one big way."

"What way is that?"

"You saved me from a life without you," he whispered to her. She smiled and dug her face into his fur, happy to be with him. Eve and three other wolves may have died, but Humphrey still managed to make her happy nevertheless. That was what she loved about her mate: he cared for her and still was able to make her smile, something that Humphrey, quite frankly, prided himself in doing. Every day that Kate was happy, Humphrey knew he was doing his job.

Suddenly, Kate spotted something and gasped. Humphrey whirled around to see Sam standing behind them. Kate cowered behind him in fear, but Humphrey grinned and told her to come out.

"It's alright, he's a friend," he told her.

"A _friend_?" She scoffed incredulously. "He's no friend! That's the Dark Wolf you told me about! He gave me nightmares, too!"

_My apologies about that,_ Sam told her. _She was shocked to hear his voice talk to her telepathically, his mouth unmoving as he spoke. He grinned in amusement from her reaction. I didn't mean to cause unnecessary harm or fear to you._

"So why are you here?" Humphrey asked. "Is something wrong?"

_Yes,_ Sam said grimly. _You must come with me._

"I can't right not, Sam," Humphrey sighed, trying to explain to him. "I'm with my mate right now and I need to be with-"

_If you don't come now,_ Sam growled. _Then you won't have a mate to come back to!_

"What are you talking about?" Humphrey questioned. Kate's fur stood on end, fearing for her life. Humphrey stood in front of her, ready to guard her if Sam tried anything. He didn't understand why he was making this kind of a threat towards her, especially right now when they were safe.

_I can't tell you, I have to show you!_ Sam said frantically._ Look, this is a matter of life and death, Young Grey! You must see this!_

"Is it the Truth of the Heart?"

_ In a way, now come!_ With that, Sam dashed off into the forest. Humphrey looked at Kate and she nodded, licking him.

"I'll wait for you at the Pack Den," she said. He nodded and sped into the forest, following Sam. Sam led him through the forest and down into the valley. They hid in the tall grass, watching the humans warily. They waited as the humans walked past, patrolling the area around their camp. Sam touched Humphrey's forehead with his paw and suddenly, Humphrey could understand the words the humans were speaking as they walked by.

Sam stealthily ran over to a large, triangular-shaped leather obstruction of the likes that they'd seen in the Dark Heart. Sam whispered a word into Humphrey's mind, informing him as to what the obstruction was. _Tent_, he said. It was an odd word and one that he was completely unfamiliar with. They dashed to cover behind a large crate with green rope wrapped around it. They slunk underneath the tent's leather surface, peaking underneath the flap at several humans surrounding a large obstruction.

An odd light circled around it the top of it and Humphrey watched as the light formed into the shape of the valley and the rest of the Western territory. They call it a Holographic Display Table, Sam explained. I'm sure you can understand now what they do. He nodded and they listened to the humans talk.

"The Russians have a few regiments of MIGs coming out in the front line," one of them said. "Intel says they've got a few platoons to T55 tanks and at least five hundred armed ground forces. Ukraine and some Chinese forces may be backing them up, too, but it's unconfirmed."

"Intel's not the best as it could be these days, Commander," one pointed. "What should we expect?"

"At least twice to three times as much," he replied. They stood in uncomfortable silence and sighed in contempt.

"We have twenty operating F22's and two Black Hawks still operating," one said. "We have one platoon of tanks and ten Humvees with at least two hundred Foot Mobiles. That is confirmed, sir. Even if the Russians don't have reinforcements coming with them and Intel is accurate for once, we're still strategically outnumbered on all accounts."

"I know," the commander responded. "That means we have to hold out here and give them hell before they move into the states."

"What's left of them, that is," another grumbled. "Mind telling us exactly what it is we're trying to protect anymore, Commander? The US got fucked over two years ago. We don't even have a stable military or government anymore. We already got the raptors infesting the area when they got lose from the containment facilities and who knows what the fuck the Russians have made. What's the Black Weapon anyway, sir?"

"I don't know," he replied, defeated. "I just don't know anymore and all we have left to do is to try to fight and hope that some kind of leader rises up and fixes this shit before the states are destroyed completely. Now everyone get geared up, they'll be showing up at any mome-"

Suddenly, the screaming of Fighter Jets could be heard above and bright flashes penetrated the tent, the deadly rounds hitting the humans inside. Limbs flew off, blood flying into the air. They screamed in agony and pain, some dying instantly. Sam quickly touched Humphrey's forehead again, allowing him to understand the language of wolf once again. They dashed away as a loud klaxon alarm began to scream. Humans rushed around, gathering weapons and getting to their vehicles.

Fighter Jets flew in the air, firing their projectile missiles at the vehicles on the ground and obliterating them. Fires began to start in the grass and burn away at the vestiges of the forest. Humphrey ran forward and away from the valley, escaping the attack ensuing behind them.

Sam disappeared and Humphrey continued to run forward. The sounds of battle were overwhelming, the violent sounds hurting Humphrey's ears. He ran up to the Pack Den to see the wolves gathering to look out in the valley in fear and confusion. Kate ran up to him.

"Humphrey, what's going on?" She questioned.

"It's what I've been talking about!" Humphrey gasped. "The humans are at war and we're in the middle of it! We have to go now or we're all going to die!"

**A/N: The war has begun. The wolves are no longer safe and must leave Jasper Park immediately if they are to survive the coming storm. Will Humphrey be able to lead the pack to safety and escape the chaos and destruction of the pack, or will they all perish in the darkness of the humans' war? Find out next chapter as we near the end of this story! Thanks to the silver wolf, the dark shadow, funlovingkate, and imjustlikehumphrey for reviewing my last chapter! Until next time!**

**-The Dishonored Wolf**

**P.S. If you haven't played Dead Space 3, go play it. Just finished it today and I got to say that game is addicting as all possible fuck. Dead Space is definitely one of the best games ever made!**


	26. The Beginning of the End

Scourge stalked the buck for several long, tedious days. It had a tendency for evading his efforts to attack it and was-quite unfortunately-a pain in his tail. Still, his hunger was strong enough to deride his thoughts of hopelessness and anger. Scourge was a patient wolf; he knew quite well when it was the time to strike. He followed the buck silently, resting along a ridge. The buck was quite aware of his presence, and that was how Scourge wanted it.

The buck had surveyed him hunt small game while it grazed. Scourge kept his wary distance, occasionally allowing the two to make eye contact. The buck did not seem to mind that he was following him and accepted Scourge's distant company. Scourge knew the tactic was working; it always did. Despite the length that it took for him to hunt the buck, he knew that his presence was starting to wear on the buck. This meant that he was letting his guard down, allowing Scourge to have a chance at getting closer to him. He'd silently tracked the buck mere hours after he arrived in the mountain pass to the immediate north of Jasper Park.

Allowing himself to hunt squirrels and small rabbits, he was able to keep himself from too much hunger. When he sighted the buck, he began to track it, using an old tactic he'd picked up when he was banished from the Southern Pack. Back when he'd been a different wolf…No, he couldn't allow himself to think those thoughts. It was better to focus on the present, to look forward to the future, than to dwell on the events of the past. His past was an empty void of nothingness; he didn't need it anymore. What he was before could never be again, nor did he wish to be his former self. He was perfectly fine the way he is, and being what he used to be again would just unearth the pain and suffering of old scars he had tried so hard to bury and forget. Still, he was haunted sometimes by the memory of the island's destruction…all of those lives, extinguished in seconds. All of them wolves he knew, and now…now they were gone. He was the punch line of a terrible joke now, the sole survivor of a dead pack. He growled and shook his head vigorously, shaking the thoughts from his mind.

He lied down on the cool rock of the ridge, looking out at the caribou. He rested his head in his paws and exhaled, his yellow eyes tracking the animal. It stopped and looked around, its eyes meeting Scourge's. The two stared at each other for a few moments before Scourge broke contact and looked away. The buck snorted and walked ahead. It bent down and began to chew the grass, eating slowly. Despite the fact that Scourge was wearing on him, the buck was not entirely trustworthy of the wolf yet. His eyes darted from side to side, his nostrils flaring, his ears perked, making sure that the wolf was not going to sneak up on him.

Scourge took note of his vigilance and held back, watching the buck from the corner of his eye. He was smarter than Scourge had initially anticipated, meaning, therefore, that Scourge would be forced to change tactics. He sat upright and looked around the area. If he pursued the buck now, then he would be able to drive it into the thick undergrowth of the forest. However, Scourge was unfamiliar with the forest before the mountain pass, and there was the chance that he could unintentionally lose the buck in there. The same went for any attack from the sides, leaving only one more conventional solution: a full-front attack.

This, however, would be too dangerous. The buck would have the advantage of sightline, height, and brute force. The antlers protruding from its skull could easily gore him if he wasn't careful, and if the buck was as intelligent as he so thought, then that meant it would be smart enough to stand its ground rather than run. When an animal stands its ground against a predator or group of predators, its chances of survival are vastly increased. When an animal gives in to its primal instincts and choses the ultimatum to flee, then its chances of survival are slim. Unfortunately for Scourge, it was equally weighed out. Either he could get himself killed trying to attack from the front, or he could risk losing the buck in unfamiliar territory.

He began to think about how much easier it would be if he was hunting the buck in Jasper, and then his thoughts began to stray towards the young grey wolf, Humphrey. He had yet another day to meet Scourge at the Jasper Border, but Scourge began to have doubts that he would do so. He decided to extend the deadline to twilight of the next night, giving him over thirty hours before Scourge left on his own. He had heard nothing of the wolves save for sporadic howling that was not uncommon for such a large wolf pack. He knew the sounds of war when he heard them, and there were no signs that the humans had begun their attack on one another. At least, that is, not yet.

War was inevitable with the humans. Their crazed, insatiable bloodlust was never satisfied. Their sick, twisted species was bound to destroy itself sooner or later, only about half of an entire country still in one piece. Humphrey and Kate were fortunate to have not been shot down in their relocation. After all, the entire eastern half of the United States territory was in flames. He knew not why they decided to bring their war to Jasper, but didn't care anymore. The humans did whatever they wanted and would continue to do so if their race survived. The wolves and other animals didn't matter to the humans; they were bloodthirsty, vicious creatures with no regard for other sentient and non-sentient life in the world. It was a disgrace that humanity even existed to do such unspeakable things in their dark, terrible history.

Suddenly, Scourge had an idea. He was thinking of all of the conventional ways to hunt the buck, but he hadn't even considered the ludicrous amount of _un_conventional solutions there were! An attack from below would most certainly not work unless Scourge acquired the ability to burrow under the ground, but with his superior height advantage on the ridge, an attack from above would most certainly prove fatal for the buck.

A smile crept to Scourge's lips as he slithered to the side, inching closer to the buck's position. When he was directly above him, he sank to the ground and waited patiently. He was downwind of the buck, his scent being carried away. The elements were on Scourge's side in this hunt. The buck turned to look back at the ridge where he had been previously, seeing a vacant spot where Scourge had formerly lain. The buck snorted, its hormones releasing the familiar scent of fear, as cent that Scourge quite savored. He growled quietly, unsheathing his claws and bearing his fangs. Now, it was the time to strike.

He leapt off of the ridge without hesitation and latched himself to the buck's back. It snorted in shock, kicking and bucking to shake Scourge off. Scourge sank his claws into the buck's hide as he began to slip to the side, but quickly dug his rear claws into the buck's belly. When he was content with the security of his position, he savagely dug his fangs into the side of the buck, tearing away the sinew and flesh of the animal. The buck began to sway, trying in vain to fight Scourge off. Still, he held fast and clung to the buck, digging into the buck's innards until it finally collapsed. Scourge lashed out at the buck's neck, tearing the Life Blood from its throat. It died seamlessly, the body beginning to twitch involuntarily as the systems began to shut down completely.

Scourge gleefully dug into his kill, proud of himself in the sense that he had successfully taken down the buck. The near two days of tracking had paid off in the end, and he saw it as a suitable way to end the buck's life. He snarled as he tore deep into the buck, ripping away large chunks of flesh and tissue. He ate at the buck with a ravenous hunger, a ferocity of near-unknown origin sweeping over him. He remembered what Collette had done to him; he remembered how she mocked him and made him go back to retrieve the caribou after bringing back a large portion of the caribou itself. He got up and glared at the corpse and fury overwhelmed him.

He began to rip and tear at the buck, throwing about the organs and discarded flesh of the animal. He allowed his festered anger to release in one terrible moment until he completely obliterated the buck. Vultures circled overhead, intent on Scourge leaving his kill so they could take part in the Lone Wolf's prey. He spat at the ground in disgust and stalked away. He had eaten what he wanted and no longer needed to stay around. He padded back in the direction of Jasper towards a small pond he'd found earlier. He lapped up water from it and then proceeded to groom his bloodied fur, washing off the grime and death from his pelt. He shook himself dry and looked back at his reflection in the water.

A gasp broke from his lips when he saw a different reflection staring back at him. It was Sam, his glowing crimson eyes boring into his soul. He shook his head and hit the watery reflection with his paw, causing it to disappear. He turned around and was once again met with the apparition of the Dark Wolf. Scourge sighed, knowing full well that Sam only came to him when there was trouble, and he wouldn't leave until he sought out whatever was going on.

"What do you want, Sam?" Scourge groaned.

_Your companion did not heed the warnings,_ Sam replied. _And now is beginning to pay the price for his negligence. _

"Who, you mean Humphrey?" Scourge questioned, receiving a confirming nod from Sam. "So what's going on? Did someone get hurt over there?"

_Yes, four have died last night,_ Sam replied. Scourge growled in anger, looking away. Had they all just listened, nobody would have died! _More of the New Pack will die today. Much more will die on this day._

"What do you mean? Quit talking so vaguely and just tell me what you're talking about!" Suddenly, it hit him. It hit Scourge like a direct blow from a Kodiak bear, a gasp escaping from him. He knew what Sam meant. He looked at him in shock, Sam nodding confirmation. The humans were at war and they were right in the middle of it.

"We have to go help them!" Scourge said.

_What good shall it do if you are killed trying to do so?_ Sam asked. _I cannot physically help them either; neither one of us can do any good in this dilemma._

"I watched my pack die because I didn't have the courage to help them!" Scourge snarled. "I'm not going to stand around and watch another pack be destroyed, either! Come on, we're going!"

Sam nodded and they ran at press-paw speed back to the valley. Scourge began to hear the sounds of battle from ahead, and more Fighter Jets screamed over him, heading in that direction. The unmistakable sound of projectile missiles and other human weapons was heard, as well as the crack and booms of explosive weaponry when it impacted upon a hard surface. Scourge growled and quickened his pace, Sam following right beside him.

They arrived at a large hill that overlooked the miles of expanse of Jasper Park. The hill they stood on had a large, rocky trench down the side of it, something that could prove fatal for anyone that came near it, meaning that they had to take the long way if any wolves were to reach him at the top of the hill. Fire and explosions would be clearly seen in the distance as the humans exacted their war.

_What is your plan?_ Sam questioned.

"Plan?" Scourge asked. He laughed. "Don't have one. I'm just here to see if anyone survives this shit." He lifted back his head and released a long howl into the sky, hoping beyond hope that someone would hear his cry. In the howl was an embedded message intended for the New Pack: _I am waiting at the Northern Passage to help any survivors of the attack. Come meet me here or you will all die. Jasper is not safe anymore. Meet me at the Northern Passage and get out of the humans way. Jasper Park is dead now; escape while you still can or all of you will die!_

**A/N: There are now only three chapters left of this story! Holy shit this is getting intense and despite the fact that I already know what's going to happen, the apprehension is killing me! Thanks to the silver wolf, the dark shadow, and LoyalWolfHumphrey for reviewing my last chapter! Until next time!**

**-The Dishonored Wolf**


	27. The End Shall Make Us One

Humphrey's claws dug into the stone ground, leaving long, white scratches on the rock. His jaw clenched; his fangs grated against each other. His eyes burned as he glared at the valley, at the humans fighting their war on the land of the wolves. The New Pack watched in stunned horror as the humans fired their weapons at one another, large tanks rolling up from the valley floor and firing further down the valley. Fighter Jets screeched in the air as they engaged in deadly dogfights in the skies above.

Kate's eyes were wide and filled with terror as she stood beside Humphrey. She leaned against him as though seeking condolence and reassurance from him in this time, but there was nothing he could give her that would help. This was what Humphrey had tried so desperately to warn everyone of, the one, terrible event that had haunted him for nearly three moons. This was the end of the world as they knew it and, if they did not act fast, it would also be the end of their lives. Mothers gathered their frightened pups. Omegas were unable to lighten the mood, the Alphas rigid in horror. Humphrey knew now why Scourge pushed him so fiercely to flee Jasper when he had the chance; Scourge had better chances of survival than they did at this point, the humans' war beginning to block the only way out of the valley.

He heard a lonely howl from the north, a warning and plea to run away. Humphrey knew that it was Scourge howling to them. He had kept his word about waiting three days for Humphrey, and now he was telling them to run or die. It was the best advice he could give them, and something that he knew they should all take into account.

"Get to the cave!" Garth howled. The wolves began to snap out of their trances and run down to the cave underneath the Pack Den. Humphrey's mind rebelled against his command. No, that wasn't what they were supposed to do. If they hid, they'd be killed!

"No!" Humphrey shouted back. The wolves looked back at him in confusion. "We have to leave! We have to make way for the north and get out of here!"

"I gave an order, Humphrey!" Garth growled. "We'll be safe in the cave!"

"If you go in that cave, then you'll all die!" Humphrey snarled. The wolves began to panic and look around frantically, unable to figure out what they should do. Garth howled and brought them together, leading them to the cave. Humphrey cursed, snarling angrily. Kate was torn, unable to decide who she should go with. She looked at Humphrey desperately; it was an order from the Leader Wolf to go to the cave and chances were that they could survive in there. Humphrey knew better, though; he knew that the wolves would die if they didn't get to the north.

Kate stubbornly stayed by Humphrey's side; Lily ran up to them, beckoning them down. Humphrey, however, wasn't leaving. Kate couldn't leave her mate out in the middle of the human's war and Lily whimpered, begging Kate to come with them. Humphrey tried to explain to her that they would all die if they didn't get moving, but Garth howled for Lily. She looked back, tears running down her snow-white fur. She blinked at them and then shot away, regrouping with the pack.

Suddenly, Kate stood rigidly. She noticed something that no one else had seen: Winston wasn't with them. She explained to Humphrey and he nodded, the two darting to the southern plains. Winston hadn't left the plains; he was still mourning Eve. If he wasn't warned soon, then he'd be killed in the battle! They hurried through the tall grass plains and towards the grasslands.

Kate's breath began to come out in short, agonized, laboring gasps as she slowed down. Humphrey slowed, telling Kate to do the same. She growled at him, refusing to slow until they made sure her father was safe. They ran forward, though slightly slower than press-paw speed. Finally, they saw Winston sitting at Eve's grave, his hollow eyes staring blankly at the ground. They ran up to him, calling out his name. Winston, however, was lost in his own thoughts and could not hear them. They cried out at him, waving their paws in front of his eyes, nudging him, trying in vain to elicit some kind of a response from the old wolf.

**Winston**

_ Winston padded through the forest. He was stalking an elk, a large and formidable animal to prey upon. He was not yet two years of age. His Alpha mentors were monitoring his status as he stalked the elk. He knew not where they were; he could not pick up a scent, could not hear them, and could not see them. Still, he could sense them as they surveyed him silently. His tail flicked swiftly, a low growl emitting from his throat._

_ He bore his fangs and charged the elk. He leapt at its hind legs, digging his fangs into the bone. The elk reared back and kicked at him in pain, its eyes lighting with insatiable fury. It tried desperately to use its antlers to its advantage and kill Winston, but he held fast and snapped the limb in half, blood falling out from the massive creature's leg. It collapsed, Winston leaping at its throat and tearing at it, killing the elk. He placed a paw on its flank, threw his head back, and howled in proud triumph. It was a quick and decisive kill, one that his mentors were sure to be proud of._

_ Wolves began to appear from the trees around him, circling him. Three of them were the old Alpha mentors, another was a young tawny she-wolf. She looked at him shyly, then darted her head away, her fur falling over one of her eyes. He felt a small smile beginning to appear on his lips, but held it back as the mentors approached him. _

_ "You have done well, Winston," an old grey told him. "We have but one final task to test your abilities as an Alpha."_

_ "Name it and I'll do it," Winston said without hesitation and with pure confidence._

_ "This young she-wolf is new here and needs training," he informed Winston. "Her name is Eve; go easy on her, she hasn't had any experience thus far. Are you up to the challenge?"_

_ "Shouldn't be too hard," Winston said. The grey smirked._

_ "We'll see," he replied. The three wolves walked away, leaving Winston and Eve alone. Winston approached her, flashing Eve a friendly smile. He extended his paw to her._

_ "I'm Winston," he introduced himself. She stared at him, her left eye shining, her right eye covered by her light golden fur. For a moment, he found himself lost in her beautiful amber eyes, then blinked and snapped out of it. She slowly extended her paw and shook his lightly._

_ "Eve," she replied quietly. "I-I-I'm n-new here."_

_ "I can tell," Winston said with a laugh. "So, should I teach you how to hunt first?"_

_ "Yeah!" She responded ecstatically, her eyes brightening with excitement. "I want to taste blood and feel my prey _die_!" Winston looked at her oddly, her statement kind of scaring him. She looked down in embarrassment. "Sorry, that just kind of burst out of me there." Winston laughed._

_ "That's alright," he said with a light-hearted laugh. "Let's get moving! Oh, and one more thing," He brushed her fur back, revealing both of her eyes. Her ears flattened in shyness, Winston smiling. "You want to be able to see if you're going to feel your prey die." She grinned sheepishly and they began to pad off into the forest together. She looked at Winston suddenly._

_ "Winston, can I ask you something?" She asked._

_ "Yeah, sure," he replied. "What is it?"_

_ "Can you wake up, daddy?" He stared at her in confusion. What did she just say? "Wake up, dad; we have to get out of here! Come on daddy, we have to go! Snap out of it!"_

"DAD!" Kate screamed. Winston blinked and looked about, breaking out of his trance. Kate and Humphrey were standing in front of him, yelling at him in front of Eve's grave. He felt groggy and exhausted, looking about in confusion.

"Wha-what's going on?" He asked.

"Dad, we have to go!" Kate cried.

"It's the humans!" Humphrey explained. "They're attacking each other and we have to leave Jasper _now_!" His eyes widened in realization and they led the way back to the Pack Den with the rest of the wolves…back into the darkness.

**Raptor 2-1**

The six-fighter squad screamed through the thick cloud cover in the sky. Precipitation soaked the plane as they flew forward. First Lieutenant Peter Johnson tapped at the buttons to his right, switching the stick to full manual control of the F22 Fighter. He called back to his co-pilot, Sergeant Jennifer Santos, telling her to ready the flares and check the flaps and stabs for any in-flight issues.

Santos confirmed that everything was in functioning order and he relayed the information with the rest of the squad. All fighters were in full functioning order and they were able to go forward now. He led the forefront of the squad, checking the proximity radar. Several large blips began to appear, revealing over fifteen bogeys inbound. Relaying the information to the rest of the squad, tactical formations ran through his head. With the F22's superior aerial flight abilities, they could easily take on the bogeys. Then, something odd happened. Over twenty more blips appeared, revealing over one hundred standard aerial infantry unit MIG class fighters inbound. Behind them were many, larger blips revealing AC130 gunships.

His mind whirred, unable to figure out where the Russians acquired United States military vehicles to use against them. He ordered for a technical reconfiguration on the radar from Santos, but she confirmed everything seemed to be in full working order. He rolled his eyes, thinking it must be some kind of glitch. Then, a blip that was over ten times the size of the AC130 blips appeared behind them. He knew now that the radar must have been broken; the blip was suggesting the Russians had an aerial vehicle over thrice the size of a space shuttle.

He called out to the rest of the squad, asking for confirmation on the new bogeys. All replied with a confirm proving that that they all had the blips on their radars. He began to wonder if someone had planted a solarium worm in the network that attacked their satellite to radar systems. They continued to stay in formation, flying through the cloud cover. Finally, they broke through a large cloud, surrounded by more clouds miles out. Directly in front of them was exactly what the radars suggested; over one hundred fighters, nearly twenty AC130 Gunships, and one, massive, Chinese constructed monstrosity of a warship hovering ominously behind them. Johnson's eyes widened in horror as he looked on at the massive fleet.

"First Lieutenant, sir," Raptor 2-4 called. "Orders, sir?"

"This is Raptor 2-1 to all Raptor units," Johnson called into the communications link. "Focus your fire on the AC130s first. Keep your flares ready and stay clear of whatever the hell that thing is in the back. If we don't make it out of here, well, it's been a damn fine honor." They all complied, speeding into the fray. A maelstrom of Sabre Rounds flew at them, missiles tracking on to them. They broke out into evasive maneuvers, flying away and engaging the AC130s. Now, the fight would truly begin.

**Humphrey**

They ran as fast as their paws would take them, trying desperately to get to the Pack Den before anything befell the wolves. Winston fully understood that necessity to escape when they explained the situation at hand. Kate, too, could understand that the best thing they could do was get as far away from the war as possible. If Jasper survived, then they could always return another day, but it was necessary to leave and save the wolves that they could.

Kate slide to a stop, groaning in pain, hunched over. Her eyes were shut, her fangs barred in pain, her claws sinking into the ground. Winston and Humphrey rushed to her aid, but she was able to get herself back up. They knew that Kate couldn't take this much running; not when she was pregnant. They had to get Kate and everyone else out of Jasper and save all lives that they possibly could. Humphrey was determined that if he was going to save anyone, it would be Kate. He refused to let anything happen to her, and he would do anything to get her to safety. If Garth, Lily, and the rest of the pack didn't want to come with him, then he'd take Winston and Kate out alone and get them as far away from the park as possible. They needed to get out of Jasper as fast as possible, and if the rest of the pack didn't want to listen, then so be it. Nothing else mattered to him anymore save for Kate's safety.

Kate couldn't run anymore, so they decided to go at a steady slow jogging pace. They needed to get out of Jasper at all costs. Humphrey lifted back his head and howled out to Scourge. If he could hear his cry, then he would know to wait for them until they arrived, ready to leave the pack. Suddenly, a large, triangular shape hurdled toward them. It was a burning Fighter Jet. Their eyes widened and they ran at press-paw speed, getting away from the danger as fast as they could.

The jet crashed behind them, a large explosion created behind them. They were slammed to the ground by the force of the blast, the heat of the fire warming their fur. The explosion itself was near-deafening, their ears ringing from the terrible explosion. They forced themselves back up and ran back to the Pack Den. When they arrived, they saw the horror of Humphrey's nightmares coming true. The trails of odd liquid that Humphrey and Garth had seen had ignited in one of the explosive blasts, the forest to the west ablaze, the fire quickly leaping from tree to tree and advancing on them.

The human encampment was decimated; the burning tents and vehicles surrounded by the charred, discarded, mutilated remains of the humans and their horrible technology and weaponry. They rushed down to the cave, leaping inside. The wolves huddled together in fear, their eyes glowing in terror as they looked at the three coming down at them. Lily ran up to them, embracing Winston and Kate in relief.

"We have to go!" Humphrey called.

"Humphrey, we already settled this," Garth growled. "We're safe in here, alright?"

"No, it's not fuckin alright!" Humphrey snarled, startling the wolves with his ferocity. "The humans are burning the whole damn forest down and you're all hiding in here to delay the inevitable! We have to leave now or we'll all get caught in the fire and be killed! Is that what you want for you pups? For your siblings? Your mates? Do you want to be known as the wolves that stayed and killed the ones you loved? Huh? Do you want to die?"

"I'm the Leader Wolf!" Garth snarled. "And I'm telling everyone that they have to stay here!"

"Fucking hell, Garth!" Humphrey snarled. "You're not the fuckin leader! I killed Tony and saved your sorry ass and I told everyone here that this would happen! You have no right to your leadership if all you're going to do is get everyone killed! If you wall want to die, then fine! Stay here! Kate, Winston, and I are going north to safety!" The wolves began to look around in fear, unable to decide whether or not they should listen to Garth or listen to Humphrey.

Then, slowly, hesitantly, the wolves began to move towards Humphrey. His eyes lit up when he saw that they were listening to him. Garth sighed and moved alongside him, Lily following close behind. All wolves now stood as one alongside him. They were no longer segregated wolves of two different conjoined packs, but one single entity. They would survive, and they would do so together. As one.

They left the cave and began to run to the other end of the valley. They saw the humans at war and knew that they would continue to fight and kill. The forest began to burn away into a massive inferno, the flames and dark smoke reaching the sky with horrible tendrils, the branches withering into gnarled, blackened claws.

A massive human ship flew out from the sky, hovering above. For a moment, it seemed as though all life stopped. The humans, the wolves, everything. They all watched as the massive thing hovered, a bright blue light forming underneath them. Suddenly, it fired a blue beam out, halting in the air and turning into a floating blue orb. It began to pulsate and deform until it suddenly burst. A disk of horizontal blue light flew out from the orb, a massive, alien sound emitted from the orb. The disk of blue light cut into the ground, splitting the earth in two and tearing through the rock and earth below it.

The disk kept going outward, splitting the cave and the Pack Den in half, the rock falling in on itself. The ground began to slant downward. Humphrey looked down into the newly formed canyon created from the humans' weapon, seeing bright magma glowing ominously below. His eyes widened in terror and the wolves ran for the north. The fire kept burning at the vestiges of the forest and more jets crashed into the ground. Humphrey led the way, knowing exactly where to lead them. From where Scourge had howled, he knew he was on the hill he'd taken Kate log sledding on nearly three moons ago, the hill with the large rock gorge cut down the middle of it. He'd take them there, and they would escape the chaos and death. Yet now, Jasper was dying. The world was coming to an end.

**A/N: There are now only two chapters left. I will be posting them back to back, literally minutes after each other. The next chapter is technically the last, the next being the Epilogue of the story. The next chapter will be long, the Epilogue not so much. Don't expect an update for at least another day or two. I thank you all for sticking with this story so long and I can't wait to see what you all think of the ending. Thanks to imjustlikehumphrey, the silver wolf, the shadow wolf, LoyalWolfHumphrey, and humphreyandkate together for reviewing my last chapter. Until next time!**

**-The Dishonored Wolf**


	28. Into the Darkness

**A/N: This is an important note. Go on Youtube right now and look up "Mass Effect 3 Soundtrack An End Once and For All" and keep that video paused. When I tell you to play it in the story, play it. Thanks to imjustlikehumphrey, humphreyandkate together, the silver wolf, the dark shadow, Alexander, and LoyalWolfHumphrey for reviewing my last chapter. This is not the last time I'll update this story. The Epilogue will be released soon and I'll give you details on my next story afterwards. Thanks for reading this chapter, I hope you all enjoy it. Until next time.**

**-The Dishonored Wolf**

The wolves ducked as bullets rained down around them, one of the wolves hit by the deadly rounds. He was torn in half by the force, his blood quickly cauterized by the extreme heat emitted by the rounds. Humphrey howled for them to keep moving, and they got up and began to run towards the other end of the valley. The massive, pulsating weapon had wreaked havoc and unparalleled destruction in its terrible wake behind them. Still, the war waged on.

They rapidly scrambled up the side of the rocky slope, helping one another get to the top of the cliff ledge. One of the wolves lost her footing and she fell down, howling in fear until she was abruptly silenced when she hit the ground, her spine snapping with a ghastly crack. One of the wolves cried out to the poor she-wolf who died, but was quickly dragged back up the slope by another. They had to keep moving or they'd all be killed by the humans. Humphrey led the way forward, Garth, Lily, Kate, Salty, Sweets, and Winston close beside him. The lives of approximately one hundred and sixteen wolves were now in his paws, and it was his utmost duty to ensure that they were safely evacuated to the north and away from Jasper.

Fighter Jets dove and twisted in the sky above, firing their sabre rounds and missiles at each other. One of the jets dove down to the ground, trying to evade the homing missile. Unfortunately, it was all out of flares and couldn't reach a speed that could escape the missile. It smashed into the glowing blue jet engines, tearing the metal infrastructure and framework apart, causing it to transform into a bright ball of flame and shrapnel, pieces of the jet smashing into the ground and lighting more of the forest on fire.

Humphrey quickly dashed ahead to the right, leading the pack away from the wreckage. Suddenly, a Black Hawk swooped down low over them. It spiraled out of control and smashed into the ground, the blades of the propeller tearing into the earth and causing the massive vehicle to explode. The force sent the wolves reeling, their bodies smashed into the ground by the extreme force of the blast. A shockwave was emitted from the explosion itself, once again slamming them to the ground. Kate grunted in pain as she landed on her belly hard. The wolves painfully dragged themselves back to their paws, intent on escaping the hell they had been unwillingly forced into.

Pups could not get up, their mothers, fathers, friends, and even stranger wolves helping them by picking them up by their scruffs and carrying them. Two young teenage wolves were struggling together, one she-wolf trying to help her friend get to his feet. He shakily tried, but he sagged to the ground in pain. She grabbed hold of his scruff and began to drag him, inching away from the battle. The wolves kept moving forward without them; there was no time to help one another in this time. It was survival of the fittest at this point, and they all had to do their best to get away from the battle or be killed in its wake. Still, Humphrey stole a glance at the two. She still dragged the young wolf up towards them, when suddenly, a missile smashed into them, their bodies caught inside of a large explosion of heat and earth. Humphrey snarled in anger and they kept pushing on.

The forest fire was beginning to catch up to them with unmatched ferocity and unbelievable speed. Humphrey stole a glance to his left and saw the fire leaping from tree to tree, the thick smoke rising into the air. It was beginning to black out the already-darkened sky. Humphrey noticed something about the attack: it took place on a night with no moon. The new moon had transitioned from its waning brother and set the stage for the darkness of the humans' war. Now, the wolves had to escape in any way that they could, or they would all face death.

**Raptor 4-3**

"Raptor Squadron, consolidate and counterattack!" F22 Pilot Raptor 4-3 ordered frantically into his radio com link. Sweat beaded on his forehead as he swung the yoke about in an attempt to evade the furious hailing maelstrom of gunfire. The massive Chinese warship hovered ominously in the center of the battle, no doubt recharging the Black Weapon once more. The destructive force of the Black Weapon was astounding, and the mere fact that they were at the mercy of such a terrible Weapon of Mass Destruction was enough to stop the hearts of the resistance all together. Still, they abode by the Commander's orders and continued to fight to their final, dying breath.

He jerked the F22 to the right, the easily maneuverable, lithe Fighter Jet responding readily to his commands. He spotted a Russian MIG squadron and immediately flipped open the cap on the yoke, activating the automatic heat seeking targeting sensors. He lowered his visor and the holographic display of the targeting reticle lit up, allowing him the optical precision he required to aim precisely at the MIGs. Once the red diamonds formed around the MIGs, he pressed the button and fired four missiles.

The projectiles flew straight and true, smashing into the MIGs and obliterating them with lethal precision. His co-pilot hooted in congratulations, Raptor 4-3 smiling in grim pleasure of his triumph. He turned the F22 skyward and activated the infrared diagnostic sensors, the heat seekers activating and lighting up any moving objects in a bright white hue. He looked skyward as several twenty five millimeter canon rounds fired down, proving there to be AC130 Gunships in the air. They flew through the clouds and smoke, looking into the sky. He tried to hail the AC130s to confirm them as hostile or friendly, but received no response save for an immediate rain of gunfire from the AC130 lower turret stations. They quickly twisted and dove away from the gunfire, immediately returning the fire with a missile directly into the cockpit of the nearest AC130.

It was a risky move, something that proved itself to be so when the close explosion racked their nimble F22 as though it was barraged by an airfield full of anti-aircraft flak turrets. They sped away as the AC130 began to fly downward. Raptor 4-3 turned around and began to fire on the rest of the AC130s with sabre round fire. They hit the fuselage, tearing the AC130 apart from the inside out. They repeated the process until all three AC130s in their current vicinity were eliminated. Now, it was time to hunt the rest of them.

"Raptor Squadron, let's go hunting," 4-3 called with a smile.

**Humphrey**

A large, flaming wreckage smashed into the ground in front of the wolves, sending them tumbling back to the ground. Humphrey groaned in pain as his back smashed into the rocky surface. He dragged himself back up, the other wolves doing the same. Their desperation to escape had erased their initial shock of seeing the massive jet crash in front of them. Human tanks began to rumble out of the trees, heading towards the valley, crushing anything in their wake. The wolves scattered out of the way. Kate was too slow to run, so Humphrey slammed her to the ground, rolling the two of them in the way of a tank. They escaped its massive treads and hid underneath it as it drove over them. The line of six tanks plowed on into the forest, heedless of the wolves. Humphrey looked around and saw the body of a wolf, flattened, bloodied, gory, smashed and grinded corpse on the ground. The poor wolf had not been quick enough to move out of the way.

Kate's eyes widened, Humphrey turning her away from the body. A wolf wailed in agony at seeing the body of the dead one, but they continued on. They had no other choice but to make a blind run for the north and hope that they would all survive. Winston-despite his age-was keeping up very well. Kate, however, was not doing so well. Her pregnancy forced her energy away from her and she quickly began to breathe heavily and sound as though she was dehydrated.

Humphrey pushed her to go faster, but she couldn't physically make herself go any faster than she could. Without someone able to lead them, the rest of the pack began to slow to accommodate for Kate's speed. Lily ran up to her and supported her weight as they ran forward. Humphrey nodded his head in appreciation towards her and they helped Kate go upward. The sounds of battle were beginning to sound far off, but the fire still burned in the sky. The smoke twisted and hovered over them, sparks flying into the brown, polluted air.

They continued on nevertheless, knowing that they still had to move despite the condition of any wolf. They broke the tree line and found a human road that would twist its way towards the northern hills. They ran along the road, the hard surface beating down on their paws and wearing them. Still, they could not stop; if they stopped, they would die, and not one of the wolves wished to perish in the fiery inferno behind them, nor did they want to die at the evil paws of the humans.

**General Blackburn**

General Blackburn crouched down behind a large, fallen tree. He ejected the magazine and inserted a new cartridge, pulling back the pin. He adjusted his helmet and peered over the edge of the tree, raising his M16A3 Carbine, setting the bipod on the tree's surface. Several Ukrainian Special Forces Troops stalked forward, each carrying AEK-971 Assault Rifles and AK74us Submachine Gun Carbines. He aimed down his sights and fired several shots at the first soldier.

Blood spurted from his face as the bullets tore into his skull. Before the troops could find his location, he killed two more. Three others fired suppressing bullets on the tree. He slammed himself to the ground as the bullets tore through the old bark. Another soldier crouched down next to the General. He pulled the pin on an M67 Fragmentation Hand Grenade and threw the object at the Ukrainians. They cried out and an explosion sounded. One of them was not fast enough and was killed by the grenade. The other two had dove away, both of which the General and the soldier killed quickly. They ducked down as an Apache Helicopter flew overhead, firing down behind them. The soldier leaned in towards the General.

"Sir!" He cried. "We have to fall back!"

"We can't!" The General snarled. "We have to stay committed to the position!" A rocket exploded behind their tree, sending dirt and rock flying down around them. They covered their necks and faces, bending over to protect themselves from the debris. The soldier looked back at him.

"If we don't fall back, we won't have a position to defend ever again!" He said. A nearby tank exploded as a 150 millimeter canon round smashed into it. The highjacked AC130 Gunships were beginning to target them from the skies; the General knew it, though he hated to admit it: this battle was lost. It was a horrible decision to think that they could hold their own in the valley, much less use it as a strategic firebase.

"Get your squad together!" The General ordered. "We have to fall back to the road! Get in the Humvees and any other vehicles you can get into! We're moving now!"

"Yes, sir!" The soldier responded. They ran away as the enemy began to barrage the valley with VTOL High Proximity Rocket Strikes and Mortars from afar. The battle was not over, but delayed. They would go to the old highway leading north and use that to whatever advantage they could.

Blackburn ran to an armored troop transport truck and climbed inside. He ordered for the marine to drive towards the old highway. He immediately complied as the General gave the evacuation order. Somber as it was, the war was clearly lost at this point. The Black Weapon was too powerful for them to match and their forces were too many and too overwhelming compared to their own. The military fled the valley, heading through the trees towards the old, snaking road. The General's transport led the way through. As they drove through the mountains, the marine began to slow.

On the road were a countless amount of wolves running away. The General ordered him to go faster, but he was still going slowly through the mountains.

"Go faster, marine!" The General ordered.

"Sir, there's wolves in front of us!" He said. "I can't just-"

"I don't care, soldier!" The General snarled. "Run them over if you have to! We have to get out of here!" The driver nodded and floored the ignition, the transport beginning to run over the wolves of the New Pack.

**Humphrey**

The wolves kept running as fast as they possibly could. Suddenly, large human vehicles came up behind them, running over the wolves in the rear of the group. They dodged to the side as the human vehicles rumbled on past them. Humphrey seethed in fury at their evil selfishness. He dragged Kate from the road as the vehicles lumbered on past them.

Suddenly, the vehicles stopped. The wolves took advantage of the chance they were given and ran into the fields, running in the direction of the large hill with the gorge down the side. Then, the massive human air vehicle appeared, the bright blue orb of light glowing from a large turret underneath the thing. It fired, the orb halting in mid-air before pulsating violently and releasing another catastrophic disk of light and energy. The sonic boom that followed deafened everyone, the wolves reeling in agony from the terrible sound.

They rushed forward, trying to escape the disk's path. A brown wolf tripped in panic and tried desperately to get back up, but his paw was snagged on something. Humphrey ran back to help him, but Kate slammed him to the ground. The disk of light passed over him and his body disintegrated before their eyes, his entity turning into ashes in the wind before they, too, were burned into nothingness. Humphrey's eyes widened in terror and they ran ahead to the north.

The fire from the forest had already spread faster than they could run, though; the trees were catching fire, the smoke getting in their lungs as they rushed forward towards the hill. The trees burned and the gnarled, blackened branches reached out towards them like fiery, demonic claws, seeking to take them and tear them apart.

Some wolves caught fire and ran ahead desperately, the fire burning away at their pelts. Humphrey looked at them in fear, his nightmares truly coming true. He coughed violently as the smoke inhalation poisoned his lungs, Kate faring no better than he was. They ran forward, but halted when a burning tree crashed in front of them. They turned left and went around it, heading to the large hill where Scourge was waiting for them. Suddenly, human jets flew down from above, firing their weapons into the wolves. The massive bullets tore through their ranks, killing nearly fifty wolves in a matter of seconds.

Kate and Humphrey ran past a young pup sitting by its dead mother, mewling and barking pitifully for help. Garth ran up and grabbed the pup, carrying him off towards the hill. An explosion went off nearby, the shockwave throwing them off. Kate slammed to the ground, crying out in pain. She gave Humphrey a reassuring nod when he looked at her in worry. They ran forward, the last wolves of the pack, when suddenly, another massive air vehicle appeared. It fired another blue disk weapon, the thing swiping through their ranks. They sped as quickly as possible to get to the hill, but Humphrey and Kate could not make it.

Humphrey grabbed Kate's scruff and threw the two of them back. They quickly scrambled up as the disk split down the earth in front of them, tearing a new, rocky canyon into the ground before them. They were now separated from the rest of the pack. Winston called out in a worried tone, Lily and Garth joining his call desperately.

"We're fine!" Humphrey howled.

"Can you get over here?" Winston asked them.

"No, the canyon is too large!" Humphrey replied. "We're going to circle around and find another way back to the hill! We'll meet you there!"

"Got it!" Winston complied. "Stay safe!"

"You, too!" Humphrey called. "Good luck! Come on, Kate, let's go!" She nodded and the two ran to the right, following the rocky gouge in the earth. Kate's breathing was labored and heavy, and she spat into the soot-covered ground.

More rocket strikes smashed into the forest, burning away at everything they had ever known in their lives. Humphrey covered Kate with his body protectively, but no debris fell over them. They ran ahead once more, but Kate was too weary. She couldn't make it running anymore. She felt dizzy and odd, a sensation coming on that she'd never felt before. Suddenly, she felt something inside of her burst. She gasped in pain and shock, coughing haggardly.

Humphrey looked back at her, Kate watching as liquid dripped from her she-wolfhood. She strained to breathe, her breaths coming out in short, agonizing gasps. She looked at Humphrey with fearful, pained eyes.

"Kate, what's wrong?" Humphrey asked, concerned. He was worried she'd been hit by a human weapon, but that was not blood he was seeing. It was-

"Humphrey, my water broke," Kate groaned. "The pups are coming right now!"

**Winston**

Once Kate and Humphrey ran off to find another way to the hill, Winston, Garth, and Lily led the survivors towards the hill. The rocket strikes barraged the earth around them, tearing the trees and undergrowth apart and setting the forest ablaze with bright, lambent heat energy. They were forced to divert their course, heading towards the gorge.

Only Humphrey and Kate, however, were familiar with this hill. They did not know where the gorge was, and therefore literally ran right into its dark, rocky clutches. Wolves tried to run ahead, only to fall mistakenly into the gorge and hit the rocky ground at the bottom, their necks and backs breaking upon impact. A missile smashed into the wolves that did not, sending survivors flying into the air and obliterating others.

Winston flew high in the air and landed painfully on the rocky hill, groaning in pain. He tried in vain to move, but couldn't bring himself to get up. Then, the form of a dark wolf appeared above him. Scourge helped Winston up, yelling at him to reach the top of the hill as fast as he could. Scourge began darting around to anyone else that survived and got them up. Garth still held on to the mewling pup, keen on making sure it was alright. Luckily, the pup had been fortunate enough to survive the barrages.

Scourge looked about but did not see Kate or Humphrey. Sam was nowhere to be seen and he had no idea what to do. He wanted desperately to go look for them, but these wolves needed his help as well. He made the ultimatum to stay with these wolves. Humphrey was alive, he was sure of it. He and his mate would come back soon. He knew they would. They had to. Like Scourge, they were survivors.

**Humphrey**

Humphrey carefully laid Kate on her back at the top of a soot covered ridge. Eve's instructions on how to help Kate give birth ran through his mind in a frantic jumble or words, phrases, and vague memories that somehow managed to make sense to him. Kate was breathing heavily, sweat falling from her fur. She panted terribly, her tongue lolling out, saliva dripping to the ground. Humphrey examined her womb and the opening where the pups would come out and gasped.

In her lower region, a shard of scorched metal was lodged into Kate. Blood fell from the wound and coated her fur with the thick, sticky liquid. Humphrey's heart stopped for a moment as he looked at Kate. She followed his gaze and looked at her injured form in sorrow and despair.

"I'm sorry, Humphrey," she whimpered. "I thought it wouldn't matter and that the pups wouldn't come yet. I-"

"Kate, why didn't you tell me about this?" Humphrey asked, his heart heavy. This shard meant that she wouldn't be able to give birth as it blocked the entrance for the pups. They were all dead now.

"I didn't want to hurt you," she said, crying. "Humphrey, you-you can't let these pups die. I can't let these pups die. Humphrey, you h-have to c-cut them out." Humphrey stared at Kate agape in terrified shock.

"Kate, I can't do that," Humphrey said, pleading for her to not make him do it.

"Please, Humphrey!" She begged. "I can't lose them!" Her eyes, those eyes…he couldn't say no, yet he couldn't follow through. His mind bent with the strain and indignation of what to do in this terrible situation. He whimpered, knowing full well the outcome of what would happen if he did what she wanted. He placed a paw on her belly, feeling the feeble kick of the young pup inside. That kick…that pup wanted life. It wanted so desperately to have a fighting chance at living. Humphrey unsheathed his claws.

"I'm sorry, Kate," he wept. "Please, forgive me!" With that, he dug his claws into her belly and tore a jagged line down to her opening. She let loose a terrible, haunting scream of agony. He followed through, her scream ripping his heart to pieces. He pulled her belly part, exposing the pulsating womb. He dug a claw inside and burst it open, left over water flying outward and mixing with the outpouring blood flow.

He quickly grabbed the small pups from inside. There were four, all of them encased in a type of clear seal. He did as Eve instructed and snapped off the seal. The first pup, a young grey male, was covered in blood. He licked its fur the opposite way to warm it and then quickly began to press lightly on its chest but to no effect. It had no heartbeat. The pup was dead. His eyes brimming with tears, he moved on to the next pup, a young tawny and white-furred she-wolf. Just like the first, it did not wake.

The third was dead as well, a young tawny male. Finally, he bit open the last seal. This pup kicked out its paws feebly. He pressed down slightly more forcefully on this pup's chest and it coughed of a sickly clot of blood onto the soot covered ground. It was a young grey she-pup, just as Kate had predicted. He licked her fur the opposite way, keeping her warm. She mewled for milk and the warmth of her mother. When Humphrey had licked the blood from the pup, he carried it over to Kate's ragged, hardly breathing form. He presented the pup to her, Kate's amber eyes glowing when she saw the young pup.

"She's our one and only little fighter," Humphrey said proudly.

"I knew she'd look like you, Humph," Kate said, laughing weakly. He joined in, enjoying the happy moment with her. Blood continued to pour out of her wound and he knew that she didn't have long.

"Kate, I have to find moss and reeds to keep you awake," Humphrey informed her. He looked out over the burning wasteland. "I'm sure they're around here somewhere."

"Humphrey," Kate whispered. He looked back at her.

"Yes, Kate?" He asked.

"I'm not making it out of here, Humph," she croaked. "We both know how this is going to end for us."

"NO!" Humphrey snarled defiantly. "I'm getting you out of here!"

"Humphrey, please," she pleaded, a tear falling from her eye. "I love you so much, Humphrey. Please, take care of our pup."

"No, Kate!" Humphrey said, crying. "We're going to be parents, Kate! Do you hear me? We're going to be a mom and dad! We have a pup now! We can get out of here and have the life we always dreamed of!"

"That's all it was, Humph," she said weakly, flashing him a small smile. "Just a dream."

"I am _not_ leaving you here!" He sobbed. She closed her eyes and opened them again, their usual luster and brightness gone. She looked at the pup and licked her.

"Take care of your father, pup," she whispered. "Make the both of us proud."

**(Put on the song now)**

Humphrey looked down at his mate in sadness, his tears blurring his vision. He sobbed as he looked down at the body of his mate, he bloodied, torn form. He'd killed her; it was all his fault. Now, she expected him to do what had to be done. She expected him to take away her pain and suffering, and to protect and care for their pup in a horrible life without her.

He remembered what Winston said to him when Kate was sick after their mating, when she was just learning of her pregnancy.

_"Humphrey, you're going to be faced with many decisions in the future. Not all of them will be easy, but you have to trust in yourself that you'll make the right decision. You're not an Omega any more. You're a grown wolf and the mate of my daughter. Whatever the decision is, you must protect Kate with your life. Do you understand?"_

_"Fully, sir," he replied, looking seriously into Winston's eyes. "She's my everything. I'm not going to let anything happen to her."_

_"If anything happens to her, to me, Eve, Lily, Garth, or any other wolf in the pack, I need you to make the ultimatum. You have to make the choices that will decide what happens in the future. You walk a difficult path, Humphrey. Every wolf does, but with your responsibilities now tied to the whole of the pack as much as it is to those you care for, you have to make decisions that won't always be easy. When you have to, I hope that you'll make the right choice."_

_"I will, father," Humphrey replied._

Humphrey cried, his tears soaking into Kate's fur. She stared ahead blankly, her heart beginning to slow, her breathing becoming more agonized. Blood dripped from her mouth, tears falling down her face. He remembered what Garth told him when they returned to the Pack Den from the highlands.

_"Before I met Lily, there was another she-wolf that I cared about in my pack," Garth said solemnly. "Her name was Teresa, and I was originally going to ask her to be my mate. There was an incident, though; a human hunter shot her and she was bleeding out in the forest. I killed the human and rushed to her aide, wanting to help her in any way that I could. She was in so much pain, and there was so much blood…I had to do what was right, Humphrey. I made the most difficult choice of my life on that day, and I tore the pain away from her. It killed me to do it, but I had to take away her pain. I killed Teresa, and ever since there's been a bit of a void in me. When I met Lily, I swore to her I'd never let anything happen to her. I've heard you say the same for Kate and your soon-to-be-born pups."_

_"Why are you telling me this?" Humphrey questioned._

_"Because you need to be prepared for everything and anything, Humphrey," Garth growled. "If anyone, be it friend, foe, or family is in pain or suffers from the eventuality worse than death, you have to be prepared to kill them. Lily and I are prepared to do so for each other, despite the pain it will ensue on us both. I would expect that if I was in pain and beyond any possible help, that you'd kill me. Do you understand?"_

_"I'm not going to let anymore wolves die," Humphrey replied firmly._

He placed a paw on her lightly rising flank. He closed his eyes, unable to look at her. Tears streamed down his face and into his fur. He sobbed, choking on his own tears or pain and resentment. He remembered their first howl aboard the train.

"_Humphrey?" Kate asked. He turned back to look at her, a large grin on his face. She tilted her head, puzzled. "What are you doing?"_

"_Oh, sorry," he said sheepishly. "It's just the moon, the moment, you know, I just thought-" she smiled at him in that you're-a-crazy-omega way. He sighed and looked into her eyes. "Oh, come on, Kate! Please, howl at the moon with me!"_

He looked down at her one last time. He took the young pup back and placed her next to him. He had to get the pup to a she-wolf that could care for her, to give her milk. If she didn't, then she'd surely die within the hour.

His mate, his best friend, his one bright, shining star in the universe of darkness and despair was lying down in front of him. He had to make the ultimatum: he had to take her pain away from her. He couldn't let her suffer anymore. He buried his face in her neck fur and sobbed.

"I'm so, so sorry, Kate," he cried. "I love you."

"I love you too, Humphrey," Kate breathed. She closed her eyes and he bore his fangs, tears streaming down his face. Like all animals, a wolf's Life Blood could be torn from the neck, killing the animal swiftly and quickly. He spotted the soft part of her neck and sobbed. "I'M SORRY, KATE!" He screamed. Then he lashed out at her, taking her pain away forever.


	29. Epilogue

Winston stood on the top of the hill beside Scourge. Merely an hour prior, there had been one hundred and eighteen wolves living in the Pack Den. Now, there were only twelve, all including Winston and Scourge. It would be fourteen when Humphrey and Kate returned. He tried to offer his condolences without worrying too much about them. He trusted Humphrey; he knew that if anyone could find a way back, he'd be the one to do it. Perhaps the Spirit Wolf, Sam, that Scourge told Winston about recently, would guide them back.

He sat down on the rock, looking out over the burning landscape. The battle was over; the humans had successfully eradicated the human forces in their valley and moved away from the territory. He stared apprehensively at the newly formed canyon where the humans' Black Weapon had fired, tearing the earth apart. It was a terrible power for any one species to hold in their paws and now the most hated race in existence had acquired that power. The wolves could never go back to their territory; there was nothing left of it save for destroyed earth and fire, toxic smoke billowing into the air. The prey was dead, the survivors far away from the territory at this point. They would have to move north like Humphrey had suggested.

There would always be complications, however. Kate was pregnant and would be having her pups any day now. They would be moving slowly, trying to feed Kate's pups and the rest of the wolves of the pack. Still, they would persevere and do just that; all fourteen of them had survived this far, and it was imperative that they stood in positive morale and continued to live on.

It was nearly an hour after his daughter and son in law had been separated from the pack. He began to worry more, pacing about through the falling ash and soot. Scourge sat calmly, staring out over the valley. There was a feeling that Winston had; it was a terrible, burning, sickly sensation. He felt as though there was a deep void in his stomach, his senses itching and burning away at him. There was something wrong, and he could feel it. He didn't quite understand what the sensation was, nor why he was having it right now, but he knew something had happened or was happening.

"You might as well rest and save your strength," Scourge commented dryly. "Worrying isn't going to do you or anyone else any good in this matter."

"My son is out there," Winston said with a heated sigh. "As well as my pregnant daughter while the forest burns down. How can I not worry?"

"I don't blame you for worrying," Scourge told him calmly. "But I trust Humphrey. You should have more faith in his abilities." Winston sighed, knowing that Scourge was right. He had to trust his son in law that he'd protect Kate and get her back safely. Then, they could set off for the north. They had to leave the territory in case the humans came back.

Then, he saw something moving down below. It was the dark figure of a wolf leaping over rocks and fallen trees, evading the fire and burning shrubbery. It leapt over a missile crater and walked wearily towards them, something held in the wolf's jaws. As the wolf walked into view, he recognized the grey fur of Humphrey. Winston's eyes widened, a sigh of relief escaping his jaws. His initial relief siphoned his ability to register that Humphrey was alone.

His mind blanked out for a moment; he didn't seem mentally able to understand that Kate wasn't with him. In his mind, he thought that she'd appear any second now behind the brush, joining Humphrey's side. She didn't do so, however; Humphrey walked towards him, the wolves assembling beside Scourge and Winston. Scourge closed his eyes, looking away in sorrow. Winston looked at Scourge, confused. There were pained, mourning wails when they saw Humphrey approach. Winston didn't understand it; why were the wolves sad at his arrival?

He saw the thing hanging from Humphrey's jaws; it was a newborn grey she-pup. Her ears and eyes were still sealed shut, her fur unkempt from obviously being licked. He heard the small, whispering squeaks of the pup. Its tail swayed ever so slightly. Winston smiled, and then looked back at the forest. Kate had not shown up. That's when it hit Winston with a force that he could not comprehend. He gasped, his heart lurching. It was their pup, and she wasn't with him. His eyes were hollow, foregone and filled with insatiable, terrible pain. He saw tear streaks running down his face. Humphrey was lost; he was no longer the fun-loving Omega that he was commonly known for. He was now a changed wolf, something completely different than what he formerly was.

He approached Garth and Lily. Lily broke into tears when she saw him, Garth starting at Humphrey, shocked. Everyone saw the flecks of blood on his muzzle. Everyone knew what had happened. They knew Humphrey had done what was needed; they knew it wasn't his fault. Humphrey, however, was not of similar thoughts. He blamed himself for what happened, and his heart was now replaced with a shattered, broken, dark core in his chest. He had lost the one thing that he held on to for so long.

He placed the young pup at his paws, looking at Garth and Lily. Garth looked at him, a tear falling from his eye in sympathy to Humphrey. Lily sniffed and looked down at the young, feeble pup. She smelled her and licked the small scrap of fur.

"She needs milk," Humphrey said. His voice was now hollow, cracked, and broken. "Or she'll die."

"What's her name?" Lily asked. He sat there for a moment, hesitating. He considered what the name should be and remembered what Kate had said before. She wanted one of the she-pups to have a particular name. He would christen the pup by that name.

"Kala," Humphrey replied. "Her name is Kala." Lily nodded and gathered the pup close to feed her. Humphrey walked to Salty and Sweets. Salty looked at him with horrified shock, tears streaming from Sweets' eyes. Salty whispered something in Humphrey's ear, not receiving a response from him. He walked around, meeting with all of the survivors. There were thirteen of them, fourteen when including Kala.

Scourge nodded at him when he came near. Humphrey looked back at him, returning the nod. He walked up to Winston. His eyes filled with tears when he saw Humphrey. Humphrey took a small object off of his leg, presenting it to Winston.

"This was something Kate made for me," he told Winston. "It's rightfully yours."

"No," Winston said in a teary manner, his voice cracking. "She gave it to you. Keep it and honor her memory." He nodded and he tied it back around his leg. The wolves sat along the ridge, all of them looking expectantly at Humphrey.

"Where to now, sir?" Garth asked Humphrey. Humphrey gave Garth an odd look. "You killed my father in the dominance battle; the mantle of leadership is rightfully yours, and I don't know where to go. Where to now?"

"North," Humphrey replied. He was now the Leader Wolf of their pack, and it was his duty to keep them alive and get them to safety. He wouldn't let them die. Not this time; not again. He wouldn't let that happen again. "We head north as soon as Kala is finished feeding…to the Pack of the Winter Mountains." The name carried swiftly on the wind, an air of hope and meaning coming with its presence. The Spirits approved of Humphrey's choice, and they would guide the wolves to the northern mountains.

The thirteen survivors looked back at their territory, their home. Lava rose from the massive gorges and canyons, the fires burning at the forest, sparks and smoke rising into the sky. The forest was now a glowing ember of fire in the darkness, the poisonous, noxious gases polluting the air above. Kala broke away from Lily and stumbled towards Humphrey. Humphrey saw the small pup trip, quickly catching her on his muzzle. He steadied the young she-pup and looked down at her warmly. He gave a weak smile, nuzzling the small soul. She was his life now, and he would protect her at the cost of his life. _Nothing,_ Humphrey thought. _Nothing will ever hurt you_. He lowered down to whisper to her, despite that she couldn't hear.

"Kala," he whispered brokenly. "I couldn't protect your mother, but I won't stop protecting her. I promise you, I swear to you, that I'll protect you with my life." The pup whimpered and whined, leaning against his leg. He nuzzled the she-pup, her fear beginning to subside from her father's caring touch. "It's okay, Kala. I'm here, pup, I'm here."

With that, he picked her up carefully by the scruff and led the way into the northern pass and away from their dead territory. They had all lived and grown up in Jasper, and now…now it was gone. They would continue on, and they would never forget what happened here. The wolves walked grimly into the darkness of the north and away from Jasper…and they never looked back.

**END BOOK ONE**

**A/N: Thank you for reading Into the Darkness. Over the past month, I've had a hell of a fun time writing this story. Unlike my Call of Duty Fan Fiction stories, I was able to make my own original storyline and add depth and emotion to the story, making this just as exciting for me as I hope it was for you, the readers. I must thank my fans and readers again for all of the support and care that you guys have given me while writing. To see ninety one reviews on this story and to see many big writers on this archive (humphreyandkate together, Dawn Walker Wolf, and chiefdaniel117) is just insane! I thought myself as lucky if I got a review on my first stories at all, and to see everyone really enjoying this story is so moving and awesome of you guys and I can't thank you all enough for your support. **

**I'd like to clear some things up right now. Several people private messaged me what happened with Lily and Tony and if Kate was really dead or not. First of all, Lily was beaten and raped by Tony (she will not become pregnant from him, however). Kate is dead; everyone that died is dead. The thing I find most annoying about books, movies, games, et cetera, is when a character 'dies' and then comes back miraculously, destroying the emotion and beauty of the ending. Many people said they cried or almost cried when Kate died; that motivates me, knowing that I successfully did what is required of a good writer and made an emotional impact on my readers. Kate is dead; it was a difficult decision for me to make and even I shed a tear when Humphrey was forced to take Kate's life. **

**Her death was (somewhat) inspired by the death of Dom's wife, Maria in the video game Gears of War 2. Dom found his beaten, tortured, and lambent-infected wife suffering and had to make the ultimate decision to kill her and take her pain away. When I came to this chapter, I knew I had two choices: I could either make an emotionally impacting ending, or I could have Kate's pups die so the metal shard could be removed and she would survive. The second choice, however, was not emotionally impacting and would change the outcome of the storyline entirely.**

**This is the first story of a trilogy. I am planning on starting the next story within a week or two, so either the next Friday (not this upcoming Friday) or the Friday after that depending on my work, practice, exams, et cetera. If you have any questions, feel free to PM me or email me at baileygrabel yahoo . com (without the spaces. If I didn't put those in, then the email wouldn't show up). **

**Thanks to imjustlikehumphrey, Alexander, the silver wolf, FunLovingKate, Dawn Walker Wolf, dp, the dark shadow, kilobravo1, Guest(s), LoyalWolfHumphrey, and NathanAnderson839037 for reviewing this story. I can't thank you guys and girls enough for reading and reviewing and it really motivates me to write more when I see reviews. **

**I know this story wasn't the best; I didn't expect it would be too great considering that this is my first story in the Alpha and Omega Archive, but I'll do my best to make sure my future stories are heightened in quality and will be far better than this story. Once again, thank you all for reading and reviewing Into the Darkness. My motivation and enthusiasm to write more on this site is strong and I'm so glad to see that people enjoyed this story. I apologize for this short, 1700 word update, but as this is the Epilogue and the final update of this story, I hope you can see why this was short (and I think you all understand why I put my Author's Note at the beginning of the last chapter). The next story will be coming soon. You all know what author to look out for. Remember, it'll be in the Rated M section of the archive. Well, since this is my last update for a week or two, I guess…until next time…**

**-The Dishonored Wolf**


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